Aberdeen man barricades himself at apartment

Aberdeen police said a 53-year-old township resident barricaded himself inside a Ken Gardens apartment on May 3 and tried to ignite flammable materials before officers took him into custody. The man, identified by police as Michael Giovanniello of Aberdeen Township, was later charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, throwing bodily fluid at a law enforcement officer and related offenses. Officers brought him to Bayshore Medical Center for evaluation after the incident, according to police. No serious injuries to residents or responding officers were reported. ### Who was involved, and where did it happen? Ken Gardens Apartments on Matawan Avenue in the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen was the site of the incident, according to Aberdeen police and local reports. Police identified the man taken into custody as Michael Giovanniello, 53, of Aberdeen Township. The apartment complex is a residential development in Cliffwood, a section of Aberdeen in Monmouth County. (patch.com) ### What set off the police response? At 5:33 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, Aberdeen officers were called to Ken Gardens for what police described as a report of a disorderly individual and a crisis-intervention incident. When officers arrived, police said, they encountered an adult man who refused to cooperate with responding officers and had barricaded himself inside the apartment. Patch reported that the episode prompted a large police response to the area. (patch.com) ### What did police say the man did inside the apartment? Aberdeen police said the man was trying to ignite flammable materials inside the home while officers were responding. NJ Advance Media, citing officials, reported that the man also spat at officers during the encounter. Police said one officer was exposed to bodily fluids and later received medical evaluation and treatment before being released. (patch.com) ### Were other residents hurt or evacuated? Aberdeen police said officers worked under “volatile and hazardous conditions” while trying to protect nearby residents and bring the situation under control. The department said officers were able to take the man into custody without serious injury to residents or responding officers. Public summaries reviewed on May 16 did not specify how many residents, if any, were evacuated from nearby units. (patch.com) ### What charges did police file? Police said Giovanniello was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, throwing bodily fluid at a law enforcement officer and related offenses. Asbury Park Press reported that the aggravated-assault count stemmed from the May 3 incident at Ken Gardens. The available public reports reviewed for this story did not include a court hearing date or indicate whether additional charges would be filed. (patch.com) ### Which officers did the department name afterward? Aberdeen police said they wanted to recognize Patrolman Robert Galati, Patrolman Jose Veliz, Patrolman Liam Gallagher and Patrolman Anthony Babek for their handling of the incident. The department said those officers brought the situation under control and took the man into custody despite what it described as dangerous conditions inside the apartment. (patch.com) ### What comes next in the case? As of May 16, the next public steps are likely to appear in Monmouth County or local court records tied to the charges police announced on May 6. Aberdeen Township’s police blotter page publishes charge summaries, and additional case details may also appear through county court proceedings if prosecutors pursue the filed offenses. (aberdeennj.org) (patch.com)