Police Tackle Man Who Ran During Traffic Stop

Toms River police were forced to tackle a man with outstanding warrants who allegedly fled from a Route 37 motor vehicle stop Thursday afternoon, according to Chief of Police Michael Mastronardy.

Officer Louis Taranto was running the names of the driver and passengers of the vehicle stopped at Route 37 and Vaughn Avenue at 3 p.m. when he became “suspicious” of the identifying information given to him by a rear seat passenger carrying no ID, Mastronardy said.

“A computer check showed the suspect gave information that he was a person who had a $5,000 warrant out of Newark,” the chief said in an email statement. “The officer was about to place the suspect under arrest when he then fled eastbound on foot.”

The man, later identified as 24 year old Joseph Jack of Morganville, crossed Vaughn Avenue and ran along Route 37, dodging several cars before Taranto and Officer Travis Seaman tackled him and placed him under arrest, Mastronardy said.

Officers found that Jack had outstanding warrants totaling $7,700 from various jurisdictions. He was held in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River on those warrants and an additional $2,500 for resisting arrest and hindering apprehension, according to Mastronardy.

Jack was also issued a summons for not wearing a seatbelt, the chief said.

The driver and passenger remained by the vehicle during the incident and were released without any charges, Mastronardy said.