By Jeff Goldman
nj.com
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MANVILLE, N.J. — A 39-year-old man who struck a Manville police officer with a stolen vehicle and later said police “need to die” after crashing into a home following a pursuit was convicted.
A jury convicted Brian Niziolek, of Basking Ridge, with aggravated assault, burglary and other offenses following a two-week trial, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s office said Monday.
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He was not convicted of attempted murder.
Niziolek, who has a lengthy criminal history, faces up to 86 years in state prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 26.
Following his arrest, Niziolek told investigators he “hated” police, that police “need to die” and he would “kill any cop I see from now on.”
Niziolek also said he and his friends “throw a party” anytime a police officer gets shot and watch videos of shootings.
The incident unfolded on June 29, 2023 when Manville police investigating a report of a stolen vehicle at about 2:20 p.m. found Niziolek in the car, officials said. When officers told him to stop, Niziolek put the car in drive and accelerated toward a lieutenant, hitting the officer in the arm and hip and pushing him into his own police vehicle, authorities said.
After being struck, the lieutenant and another officer got into a police car and pursued the stolen vehicle. During the pursuit Niziolek drove the wrong way down a one-way street and hit several vehicles at speeds of more than 60 mph before he crashed into a home on North 5th Avenue and then ran off, authorities said.
Police from Hillsborough, Bridgewater and the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office helped Manville police locate Niziolek hiding in a crawl space in the basement of a multi-unit apartment building on Brooks Boulevard and arrested him
Investigators later found a gun and ammunition in the stolen vehicle, officials said.
Niziolek was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault, including on a law enforcement officer, eluding, burglary and weapons offenses.
He has previous convictions for sexual assault, aggravated assault, weapons offenses, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, burglary and selling drugs.
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