A 911 call reporting gunfire sent Kearny police racing to a Webster Avenue residence Thursday morning, touching off a standoff that ended later that morning when the man inside surrendered. Officers were dispatched to the home north of West Bennett Avenue at approximately 9:16 a.m., and as they moved into position near the residence, they heard another gunshot. No residents or officers were hurt at any point during the incident.
According to rlsmedia.com, officers secured the area, established a perimeter and opened negotiations with the man inside. As News12 | Long Island reported, the man was later identified as Thomas J. Romano, 57, of Kearny, who surrendered to police after the talks concluded. Authorities said Romano was also the subject of an unrelated arrest warrant at the time of his surrender.
Police Negotiations
With assistance from the Hudson County Regional SWAT Team, officers worked to secure a safety perimeter and keep lines of communication open. Police said there was no active shooter and no ongoing threat to the general public while the perimeter remained in place as investigators continued their work.
Peaceful Resolution by Mid-Afternoon
Romano surrendered to police Thursday morning. Officers remained at the scene as investigators continued their work. The Kearny Police Department thanked the Hudson County Regional SWAT Team and other assisting agencies for their response, and the incident remained under investigation.
The standoff came just a day after a separate barricaded-subject incident prompted a shelter-in-place order in nearby Secaucus on Wednesday, Sept. 30, which also drew members of the Hudson County Regional SWAT Team, according to Daily Voice. It remains unclear whether the two incidents are connected in any way beyond the shared regional SWAT response. For now, Kearny police say the matter on Webster Avenue is still being investigated as officers work to piece together exactly what happened inside the home.
