The investigation revealed the man called police and reported an gunman was in the area, authorities said.
TOMS RIVER -- A man was shot by police on Sunday after authorities say he pointed a black television remote purporting to be a "deadly weapon" at them.
The man, whose identity is being withheld, suffered non-fatal injuries as a result of the shooting and is expected to survive, according to a statement released by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, the lead agency investigating the officer-involved shooting.
Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato said Toms River police received a 911 call around 6:44 p.m. stating a "suspicious male armed with a gun" was spotted in the area of Sand Creek Lane. Police received an additional 911 call, this time stating there were three suspicious males and one had a gun, Coronato said.
Police officers who Responded to the area located a man walking in the area of Sand Creek Lane and Christian Court, Coronato said. He said a preliminary investigation found that the man had his right hand behind his back and began "walking towards the officers."
The man declined to show his hands after officers demanded he do so repeatedly, Coronato said.
"The subject quickly removed his right hand from behind his back and pointed the black object at the officers," the statement read.
Two officers fired a total of nine rounds at the man, striking him twice, Coronato said.
The man was taken to an area hospital where he is in critical but stable condition as of Monday afternoon. None of the officers involved received injuries, Toms River police said.
Coronato said the preliminary investigation showed that the man called 911 "so they would respond." The remote control came from an area motel, where the man was currently staying at.
"... (T)he subject removed the black television remote from his room at the area motel and ultimately utilized the remote control to feign the presence of a deadly weapon," the statement said.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office is leading the investigation, with the help of the Ocean County Sheriff's Department. The attorney general's office was notified of the shooting, per protocol.
Authorities are withholding the names of the two officers involved in the incident. It's unclear what their statuses are.
Authorities asked that anyone with information to Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Detectives Raymond Gardner of Lindsay Woodfield at 732-929-2027.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.