Somerset County man arrested after 34-hour SWAT standoff; police say suspect shot himself during arrest
BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Somerset County) — A 25-year-old Bridgewater man was arrested Saturday after a 34-hour standoff with law enforcement in Somerset County that ended when authorities say he fired three shots and wounded himself during his arrest.
Eric J. Thorogood, of Bridgewater, was charged with multiple weapons and assault offenses following the incident on Hill Lane, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald, Acting Chief of County Detectives Meredith McKay and Bridgewater Township Police Chief John B. Mitzak.
Police said the standoff began Thursday at about 7:44 p.m. when Bridgewater police responded to a 911 call involving Thorogood. Officers attempting to contact him at a residence were informed that he was armed with two firearms.
After repeated unsuccessful attempts to communicate with Thorogood, Bridgewater police requested assistance from the Somerset County SWAT team.
Authorities said the SWAT team, crisis negotiators and tactical medics arrived around 10 p.m. Thursday and spent the next 34 hours attempting to persuade Thorogood to surrender peacefully.
During the standoff, Bridgewater police evacuated nearby homes as negotiators continued efforts to resolve the situation without violence.
At approximately 6 a.m. Saturday, SWAT officers entered the residence and found Thorogood armed with a rifle and a pistol, officials said.
Authorities said Thorogood fired three shots during the arrest and struck himself in the leg. No law enforcement officers fired their weapons, and no officers were injured by gunfire or suffered serious injuries during the incident.
SWAT team members immediately provided medical aid before Thorogood was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, prosecutors said.
Investigators from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Investigation Unit later executed a court-authorized search warrant at the residence.
Thorogood was charged with second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose; third-degree possession of a firearm without a serial number; third-degree endangering another person; fourth-degree aggravated assault; and fourth-degree possession of a high-capacity ammunition magazine.
Authorities said Thorogood will be lodged at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing after he is released from the hospital.
The prosecutor’s office credited multiple agencies for assisting in the operation, including the Middlesex County SWAT team, Somerset County Communications, local fire departments, emergency medical services agencies and Grace Community Church.
