Man Struck Police Lieutenant With Vehicle, Led Officers On High-Speed Chase, & Later Spat On Attorney During Trial
Friday, February 13, 2026, 7:00 A.M. ET. 4 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
MANVILLE, NJ.- A Basking Ridge man has been sentenced to three decades in New Jersey State Prison following a violent encounter with police, a high-speed pursuit through Somerset County, and the discovery of illegal weapons and ammunition, authorities announced.
On January 28, 2026, the Honorable Peter J. Tober, Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division, sentenced Brian A. Niziolek, 39, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, to 30 years of incarceration, with 27 years of parole ineligibility, for a series of serious felony convictions stemming from events that occurred in June 2023.
Niziolek was convicted on December 11, 2025, following a jury trial, of ten criminal offenses, including multiple second-degree crimes. Under the No Early Release Act, he must serve at least 27 years before becoming eligible for parole.
Extensive List Of Convictions;
The convictions include:
- Second-degree aggravated assault (attempt to cause serious bodily injury)
- Second-degree eluding law enforcement
- Second-degree burglary while armed with a deadly weapon
- Second-degree unlawful possession of an assault firearm
- Second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun
- Third-degree aggravated assault (causing bodily injury to a law enforcement officer)
- Third-degree resisting arrest
- Fourth-degree unlawful possession of a high-capacity ammunition magazine
- Fourth-degree unlawful possession of a knife
- Second-degree certain persons not to possess firearms
Violent Encounter With Police;
The case arose from an incident on June 29, 2023, in Manville, New Jersey, when the Manville Police Department received a report that Niziolek was operating a stolen vehicle.
Manville Police Lieutenant John Crater and Officer John Chismar located the suspect vehicle on Pope Street and attempted to conduct an investigative detention. According to trial testimony, as officers exited their patrol vehicle, Niziolek turned his wheels toward Lt. Crater, accelerated, and struck the lieutenant with his vehicle, hitting him in the arm and hip and slamming him into his own police car.
Despite the collision, officers immediately re-entered their vehicle and pursued the suspect as he fled at speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour, drove the wrong way down a one-way street, and endangered motorists and pedestrians throughout Manville. Officer Christopher Ciempola later joined the pursuit in a marked patrol SUV.
The chase ultimately ended when Niziolek crashed first into another vehicle and then into a residential home on North 5th Avenue, causing significant property damage.
Arrest And Weapons Recovery;
After the crash, Niziolek fled on foot and broke through a basement window of a multi-unit apartment building on Brooks Boulevard. Multiple agencies, including officers from Bridgewater and Hillsborough Police Departments, and a Somerset County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit, responded to assist.
Police located Niziolek hiding in a basement crawl space. Lt. Crater personally removed him from hiding, handcuffed him, and placed him under arrest.
A subsequent search of the vehicle recovered an illegal MAC-11-type 9mm semi-automatic assault firearm, a high-capacity magazine loaded with 30 rounds, and a bulletproof vest, all of which were introduced as evidence at trial.
Additional Charges For Courtroom Incident;
In a separate matter, Niziolek was also charged on January 12, 2026, with third-degree attempted witness retaliation and harassment, a petty disorderly persons offense, for conduct that occurred inside the courtroom during his trial.
On December 4, 2025, as sheriff’s officers escorted him into the courtroom, Niziolek spat on an attorney seated in the gallery whom he mistakenly believed to be a witness for the State. Authorities said that after the incident, Niziolek told a sheriff’s officer he was “having a bad day” and admitted, “I f***ed up.”
Those charges remain pending in Somerset County Superior Court.
Judge Cites Serious Threat To Public Safety;
In imposing sentence, the court emphasized the extreme danger posed to law enforcement officers, motorists, and the public, citing the deliberate use of a vehicle as a weapon, the presence of illegal firearms, and the defendant’s continued misconduct even while on trial.
The sentence ensures that Niziolek will remain incarcerated well into his 60s, reflecting the severity of the crimes and the lasting injuries and risks imposed on victims and first responders.
Editor’s Note:
This article was written by Art Fletcher, Executive Editor, and is based on court records, charging documents, sworn trial testimony, and official statements presented in Somerset County Superior Court. All facts, dates, charges, and sentencing details have been verified through judicial proceedings and law enforcement documentation. The additional charge stemming from the December 4, 2025, courtroom incident remains pending, and the defendant is presumed innocent of that charge unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Englebrook Independent News does not speculate on unresolved matters and reports only information supported by the evidentiary record.
