State Police Search Millville Neighborhood After Suspect Flees on Foot

New Jersey State Police troopers in tactical gear swarmed the 100 block of North 3rd Street in Millville on March 11, deploying a helicopter overhead and entering at least one residence during a foot pursuit that ended without an arrest.

Millville police, who assisted state troopers in the search, posted to Facebook that "the suspect was not apprehended and there is no suspected threat to the community." New Jersey State Police did not respond to requests for comment.

A woman who lives on the block and did not want to be identified said she was at work when police surrounded her house, leaving her son inside alone. "My son was here, he was a little freaking out, they actually made him come out with his hands up and guns were drawn," she said. Her son told her troopers explained the situation after the fact: "They just said they were on a foot pursuit and the guy was jumping the fences behind my house. A construction worker saw him go down my steps, but didn't know where he went from there. That's why they need to make sure everything is safe."

Ring camera video captured state police and officers in tactical gear taking positions on the front porch of the home. Officers were heard speaking into the doorbell camera moments before entering the residence.

Michele Brown of Bridgeton happened to be walking her dogs nearby when the search was underway. "It was a lot I didn't understand what was going on," she said. The sight of officers moving through the neighborhood with weapons drawn left little doubt something serious was unfolding. "Definitely startling cause you see all these cops with their guns out, and you're just looking like, 'Whoa,'" Brown said.

Neighbors spent hours trying to piece together what had happened as the helicopter continued to circle and troopers canvassed the block on foot. No suspect description, timeline, or underlying offense has been released. The identity of the person being pursued and any charges they may face remain unknown, and state police have not issued any public statement about the incident as of this reporting.