Suspect in Point Boro SWAT Manhunt, Involved In Brick Dispute, Is Dead

Written by Colleen Platt

The Port Monmouth man who was the subject of a manhunt throughout the Point Boro and Brick areas yesterday was pronounced dead earlier today, one day after he shot himself as SWAT teams approached.

Robert F. Terry III, 32, of Monmouth Ave., who lived in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown, was pronounced dead at 12:55 p.m. today at Jersey Shore Medical Center, according to a prepared statement from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

As police searched for Terry Wednesday morning, schools in Point Borough and Point Beach were put on lock down for about an hour.

According to Al Della Fave, a spokesperson for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, the incident began as a domestic violence event on Hooper Avenue in Brick at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Terry fled that location, and Brick police issued a description of him to area police departments.  

Terry was then seen in Brick getting into a taxi, when was heading to the train station in Point Pleasant Beach.

Brick Police called Point Beach police at 8:40 a.m., and police located the suspect  on foot in the downtown area after a motor vehicle stop on the taxi.  

At about 8:48 a.m. yesterday, Terry was seen was in the vicinity of 528 Arnold Ave. Shortly after, he was located on the roof of that location, above Creative Experience, identified as a nightclub for teens. Brick SWAT members gained access to the roof.  

In the presence of the officers, he shot himself in the head with a .25 caliber handgun, according to Della Fave.

Although no one answered the phone at Creative Experience today, local business owners and members of the community continued to praise the response of police officials and school administrators, with comments on Patch.

One person commenting on Patch, identified as Ann, wrote: "I am so thankful to all who kept us safe yesterday. I have grandchildren in the schools, the lockdown with a positive outcome was good for them. It was more like a drill, helping them if in the future there is ever a serious issue in their school. People like the gunman are unpredictable. I believe it is better to be cautious than to be sorry. "