Cops: Brick Man Stopped People in Vehicles Seeking Drugs, Tried Pulling Knife During Arrest

Handcuffs (Shorebeat File Photo/ banspy/ Flickr)

A Brick Township man was lodged in the Ocean County Jail after allegedly approaching people on foot seeking to buy drugs, then engaging in an altercation with police officers.

Gerald Snyder, 39, was taken into custody March 2 just after 8:30 p.m., when detectives from the Brick Township Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit “stopping people in vehicles and on foot, appearing to be loitering to obtain [drugs],” said Ptl. Victoria Finelli.

Gerald Snyder (Photo: Ocean County Jail)

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The suspect was said to have been riding a bicycle through various parking lots on Route 88. Snyder was arrested in the parking lot of the Dollar Tree store at 1930 Route 88.

“During the investigation, it was determined he was under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance,” said Finelli. “As detectives advised him he was under arrest, he charged at officers, and a scuffle began.”

Police allege Snyder resisted arrest and, during the scuffle, attempted to grab a pocket knife in his pocket. Snyder was eventually placed under arrest and is accused of having a quantity of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia on his person. He was charged with loitering to obtain drugs, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, resisting arrest, obstruction, possession of a weapon (pocket knife), possession of crack cocaine, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and under the influence of a CDS. Snyder was processed and lodged in Ocean County Jail.

He was no longer listed as an inmate at the jail as of March 8.

More SCU Cases

Brick PD’s Street Crimes Unit reported three other arrests as part of its larger crackdown on quality-of-life crimes through proactive policing. They include:

March 1, 2022

• SCU Detectives conducted surveillance in the area of the Wawa store at 1902 Route 88. Detectives observed a man identified as Kenneth Furman, 27, of Brick, seated in a passenger seat of a vehicle. Furman, police said, had an active open warrant out of Brick Township. Furman was arrested and lodged in Ocean County Jail. He was no longer listed as an inmate as of March 8.

March 2, 2022

• Officer Morgan Murphy initiated a motor vehicle stop on Brick Boulevard after observing an alleged erratic driver. The stop was for failure to maintain lane and use of a cell phone while driving. SCU detectives arrived on scene to assist with the stop.The driver, Barry Ellenwood II, 35, of Wharton, N.J., was arrested for obstruction after allegedly failing to obey officers’ commands to exit the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted and officers say they discovered five bundles of heroin packaged for sale in addition to a “large amount of currency.” Ellenwood was charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS in a motor vehicle, possession of heroin, obstruction, failure to maintain lane, use of a hands-free cellular phone and tinted windows. Ellenwood was lodged in Ocean County Jail, however records indicate he was no longer an inmate as of March 8.
• SCU detectives conducted surveillance in the area of Brick Boulevard March 2. The detectives observed a vehicle commit several motor vehicle violations, leading to a traffic stop, Finelli said. The front seat passenger, identified as Asianna Marlow 22, of Toms River, was placed under arrest due to an outstanding warrant out of Toms River.  Marlow posted bail and was released.