SOMERVILLE, NJ — A jury has convicted a Basking Ridge man on nine charges including aggravated assault and weapons offenses following a two-week trial.
Brian Niziolek, 39, was found guilty Thursday of second degree aggravated assault, second degree eluding, 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, third degree resisting arrest, fourth degree unlawful possession of a high capacity ammunition magazine and fourth degree unlawful possession of a knife.
The charges stem from a June 29, 2023 incident in which Niziolek struck Manville Police Lt. John Crater with a vehicle while fleeing from officers on Pope Street in Manville.
Manville police received a report that day that Niziolek was in possession of a stolen vehicle.
Lt. Crater and Officer John Chismar located Niziolek driving the vehicle on Pope Street and attempted to detain him.
Niziolek turned the wheels toward Lt. Crater, accelerated and struck the lieutenant in his arm and hip with the vehicle, propelling him against his own police vehicle.
Officers pursued Niziolek as he fled through Manville at speeds exceeding 60 mph and drove the wrong way down a one-way street.
Niziolek crashed into a vehicle and then into a house on North 5th Avenue.
He fled on foot and broke through a basement window of a multi-unit apartment building on Brooks Boulevard in Manville, where he attempted to hide in a crawl space.
Manville police, with assistance from Bridgewater, Hillsborough and a Somerset County Sheriff’s Department K9 Unit, surrounded the building and located Niziolek in the crawl space.
Police searched the vehicle and recovered an illegal MAC-11 type 9mm semi-automatic assault firearm, an illegal high-capacity ammunition magazine containing 30 rounds and a bullet-proof vest.
Once in custody, Niziolek made statements expressing hatred toward police officers.
The jury deliberated for approximately six hours before returning the guilty verdict.
On Dec. 12, Niziolek waived his right to a jury trial and a judge convicted him of second degree certain persons not to possess firearms following a bench trial.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2026.
Based on his prior criminal history, Niziolek faces an enhanced term as a persistent offender of up to 83 years in prison.
