Brick Police Officer Injured In Crash Answering Assault Victim's Call

Note: This article has been updated to correct the age and hometown of the man accused in the assault, reflecting corrected information provided by Brick Township police.

BRICK, NJ ? A Brick Township police officer was injured Thursday in a crash while responding to an assault that led to the arrest of a Brick Township man, authorities said Friday.

The man, Joseph Yannon, 35, has been charged with aggravated assault, eluding law enforcement and multiple motor vehicle violations, Police Chief David Forrester said.

Police were called to a home on Greenwood Loop Road for a report of an assault and found a victim with visible injuries, police said. The victim was not identified, and police did not detail the nature of the injuries.

As they arrived to help the victim, the suspect ? later identified as Yannon ? took off in a vehicle. Forrester said that as officers tried to stop him, Yannon drove directly toward a patrol car. He did not hit it, however.

"Due to the high risk to public safety, the pursuit was promptly terminated," Forrester said.

A Brick Township officer who was responding to assist was involved in a single-vehicle crash near Herbertsville Road and Lanes Mill Road, Forrester said. He was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment of arm and facial injuries, and later released, Forrester said.

Yannon, meanwhile, was found in North Hanover Township with the help of the New Jersey State Police and arrested without incident, Forrester said.

Yannon was not listed in the inmate roster at the Ocean County Jail on Friday afternoon. It was unclear where he was being held.

"The Brick Township Police Department extends its appreciation to all responding officers and agencies for their coordinated efforts in ensuring public safety," he said.