Hatzolah Central Jersey Member Detained by Toms River Police Over False Claim He Waved a Gun

A Hatzolah of Central Jersey member was detained by police before Shabbos over a false claim he had waved a gun from his vehicle, TLS has learned.

Approximately one hour before Shabbos, the member was responding to an emergency in Toms River, when a driver, who reportedly failed to pull over for the member, phoned police telling them that the member had waved a gun.

The driver then followed the member until the block of the emergency, where the member entered the home to treat the patient.

Upon exiting the house, police placed the member in handcuffs and detained him while they searched his vehicle for a gun.

When the police determined that the member had a concealed carry permit, police then went to the member’s home to check if his gun was at home, where it was.

Approximately 45 minutes later, around 15 minutes before Shabbos, the member was released.

“Just because somebody does not like the quick response time of our members, does not give them the right to make up false stories about our volunteers responding to an emergency,” a Hatzolah member and Askan told TLS.

Police are investigating the incident.

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47 COMMENTS

  1. What’s scary is, has he had his gun in him, even if he didn’t waive it as claimed he’d be in a different situation. Hence the need for dashcams everywhere.

    • Read the story. His gun was at home. The police searched his car and he didnt have it. The story was made up. The caller should be prosecuted for making a false claim to police.

      • Agreed and the Hatzolah member should consult an attorney about the possibility of bringing civil charges against the person who made the false report.

    • Don’t try that because technically the hatzaloh guy can’t be driving with lights & sirens and make people move over, I’m not saying that it is enforced everywhere..

      • Please do your research.

        NJ 39:4-92
        Drivers must yield to emergency vehicles including volunteers who display emergency lights just as they would to any emergency vehicle.

        • That’s correct,
          But this is only in a case where the vehicle has the proper permits for the lights & sirens.
          Most if not all hatzaloh EMT’s may only have one blue light bar on the roof or 1 blue light strobe on either end of the vehicle. That means No red/white lights sirens etc..
          They must also follow all posted speed limits, stop signs & red lights.
          Insurance will not cover them when they get in an accident which I know firsthand from an insurance guy/hatzaloh in Lakewood.
          You can ask any hatzaloh guy – they’ll say the same.
          It’s just not enforced in Lakewood.

    • Drive with “due regard” in which they never do. Blue light is a COURTESY LIGHT in NJ. (Yes other states have blue for PD, not NJ) so therefore if I were the driver I’d file a complaint (just not in Lakewood where it’s clearly not enforced ever) yield for marked police, fire. Ems… the “undercover” looking ones use your discretion until you are certain AND SAFE TO DO SO.

      • You are incorrect. It’s not a courtesy to yield to a volunteer firefighter or Ems with blue lights. You are required by NJ law to pull over to the right side and yield to them.

        • It’s called a courtesy light, though you are supposed to move over for them.
          All I said was taken straight from the NJ code – “emergency personnel who are operating their vehicle with a blue light shall follow all traffic laws.
          That includes but is not limited to laws regarding speed, stopping at stop signs and red lights, and lanes of travel.”

  2. @tina he didn’t have a gun. The police searched his vehicle and it wasn’t there. They subsequently searched his home and found his gun was at his house. The person who called simply made it up… happens to be the volunteer was also a registered gun owner.

    • Do you have a source for that? Or is it just your victim mentality talking, while using religion as an innapropriate backing for your otherwise dumb comment?

  3. If he actually had waved the gun, there would have been a serious punishment. Charges should be pressed against the false accuser, and he should receive the same punishment.

  4. this is not only anti Semitic it is also anti humanity, which pervert delays an emergency responder? what else would this sick man do? brake check a patrol car chasing bank robbers? this guy needs to spend some time in jail to rethink his attitude before he endangers others just because they do not wear the same color clothing as he does, his problem is he has no respect for public servants, and he goes about endangering them. he needs real professional help besides the requirement of facing a judge.

  5. If the caller was truly concerned about the gun which apparently was made up, he would have never followed the person to the call.

    Obviously caller was intentionally trying to cause issues. Regarding the cops, besides the member possibly giving consent to search his home, there’s absolutely no need for that to happen and is a total waste of time.

  6. Reminds me of “swatting”, where people call in a false gun scare so the swat team shows up at your door. People get killed from this kind of stuff. American police are notorious for being quick on the trigger and then getting away with it through qualified ammunition. People are sic too and I see anti Semitic comments from the trump crowd all the time. I would bet money this guy is racist and called just to f his day up

  7. It really was just a case of mistaken intention & a short temper.
    The Hatzala guy was playing “Thank you Hashem” (for having the zchus of answering a call) very loudly. When he was beside the other car he saw the man was drumming along on his steering wheel. Assuming the guy was Jewish the Hatzala guy held up his Shel Rosh & waved to him to follow him to the call.
    It turns out the man was looking to put on Rabbenu Tams which the Hatzala guy did not have. Being so close to Shabbos & likely missing the Mitzvah the guy became irate & out of anger called the police.
    It was really a simple understanding. The lesson here is even if you don’t wear Rabbenu Tams you should always carry a set with you.

  8. The reality is that police have to investigate reported gun crimes to see if they actually occurred and if gun laws were broken. In this case, the investigation showed there was no crime committed and a false report was filed. The police only did their duty in the interest of public safety.

  9. @Bob
    Nope.
    It is not a courtesy light in New Jersey. (in New York it is)
    NJAC 39:3-54.12
    “Provided, However, that the drivers of non-emergency vehicles shall yield the right of way to the vehicle of any member of a volunteer fire company, a volunteer first aid or rescue squad or a volunteer Office of Emergency Management operating emergency warning lights in the same manner as is provided for authorized emergency vehicles pursuant to….”

    Please stop posting false information that can endanger people’s lives.

    • It’s still called a courtesy light in NJ,
      You are still supposed to move over but hatzaloh must obey all normal traffic laws.
      Call Lakewood PD or a lawyer or insurance guy- they’ll say the same.
      There’s a reason why they won’t go with L&S on the parkway as they know state PD doesn’t really care what LPD doesn’t enforce.
      I’m not taking away from the good that hatzaloh does, I’m just trying to set the record straight.

  10. 1 , what’s your agenda what the hell is smoking have to do with the blue light COURTESY LIGHT. 2, let’s educate y’all in REAL WORLD. Blue lights you drive with due regard. ANY AND ALL incidents caused by you/your unmarked POV “emergency vehicle” SHALL AND WILL be held liable in NJ. I have seen it in court where volunteer member was charged and convicted on causing a head on collision because he had his blue lights on going to a low priority call while he was driving like Armageddon was about to happen.

    So you do your “thing” in your town, but PLEASE for the sake of lives, don’t spread it to other towns.

    • Your a hundred percent correct.
      I know a first hand story of a hatzaloh guy who actually did stop by a red light and then went thru and got into a t bone accident – he was found guilty and had to pay all fees out of Pocket as insurance would not cover him.

  11. @Bob your words & tone reak from either jealousy, antisemitism or both. This was an article about a false report & failure to pull over to an emergency vehicle. No one is discussing driving with or w/o due regard, nor anything about causing an accident while responding. The fact that you twice brought it up unsolicited, shows you have a preconceived notion.

    Secondly, that ‘thing’ that hatzolah does…that you desperately don’t want to ‘spread to other towns”…it’s called selflessly caring for others & SAVING lives. Like that time a month ago when over a dozen hatzolah EMTs & paramedics responded to a horrific 1 car accident & stayed at the scene for over 3 hours, helping to save the life of a non jew.

    • I will defend Bob as a yeshiva guy in a mainstream yeshiva (and first responder with the proper blue light)!
      If you scroll up the chat” look at “shmoiger” comment- that’s what caused this whole discussion. I’m not sure why you have to bring up the anti semitisim card- your wasting it!!
      Put yourself in his shoes for a moment.
      All he wants & I want is safety, there’s a reason why there are laws governing this. Lakewood is just the Wild West.
      On the same token I have much appreciation and respect to hatzaloh for all that they do saving lives and all that, it’s just a hard topic to discuss..

  12. Welcome to NJ!
    We are not in a free state nor a free country anymore.
    It’s so sad 😢 how a few politicians just totally disregard our constitutional freedoms.
    ‘Rak Hashem Yishmor’

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