Officer shoots knife-wielding suspect during Somerset County standoff
Prosecutors say officers spent more than 30 minutes trying to de-escalate the situation before the suspect advanced toward an officer with a knife.
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A man is facing charges after authorities say he was shot by a Bernards Township police officer while advancing toward the officer with a knife during a welfare check Monday afternoon.
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office said officers responded around 3:30 p.m. Monday to a 911 text reporting a man who was bleeding and possibly intoxicated in the area of Mountainview Boulevard. Officers found the man, identified as 31-year-old Jake Smolinsky of Asbury, sitting in the driver’s seat of a Subaru while holding a knife.
According to prosecutors, officers spent more than 30 minutes urging Smolinsky to exit the vehicle, drop the knife, and accept medical aid for visible injuries. Authorities said Smolinsky refused commands and at one point told officers to “put one right here” while pointing to his head.
Prosecutors said Smolinsky later got out of the vehicle and walked toward an officer while pointing the knife at them. As he continued advancing, the officer fired one shot, striking Smolinsky in the abdomen. Officers immediately began first aid before Smolinsky was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
Smolinsky has been charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He was served with the complaint at the hospital and will be lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a court hearing after he is discharged, prosecutors said.
