NEWARK, NJ – The Attorney General’s Office is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred on May 3, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey.
According to the initial investigation, police responded to a 911 call at 8:34 p.m. stating that individuals had been shot inside a Johnson Avenue residence. Upon arriving, officers found one man dead from a gunshot wound and an eight-year-old boy wounded by gunfire.
The child was taken to University Hospital, where he died at 9:14 p.m.
Police saw an adult male with a firearm fleeing from the scene. Several officers from the Newark Police Department pursued the individual on foot, and two officers opened fire, fatally injuring the man. The identities of the decedent and the officers have not been released.
Under a 2019 law, P.L. 2019, c. 1, the Attorney General’s Office must investigate the death of any person that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in their official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. The law requires all investigations to be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officers involved.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and no further information is available at this time. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is conducting an investigation into the homicide at the Johnson Avenue residence.