Lacey Township, NJ – The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday released body-worn camera video and police radio transmissions from the fatal police-involved shooting of 55-year-old Susanne Clarke in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey Township.
The recordings, released by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), are part of the state’s policy requiring public disclosure of evidence in fatal police use-of-force incidents while the investigation remains ongoing.
Officers responded to reported medical emergency
According to the Attorney General’s Office, four Lacey Township police officers were dispatched shortly after 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 16, to Clarke’s residence on Hemlock Drive near Birch Road after she called 911 reporting she believed she was suffering a heart attack.
Investigators said officers found Clarke inside the home communicating through a window but refusing repeated requests to come to the front door. She repeatedly told officers to leave her alone as they remained outside attempting to assess her welfare.
Emergency medical personnel also responded to the scene while officers observed Clarke moving throughout the residence and, at times, lying on the floor.
Officers entered after seeing injured dog
The Attorney General’s Office said officers had been at the home for about 30 minutes when Officer Dallas Gant looked through a rear sliding glass door and reported seeing a dog that appeared to have a knife wound.
Officers then attempted to enter the residence, including trying to force open the front door. After that effort was unsuccessful, Gant began climbing through a side window but immediately backed out after seeing Clarke holding a knife, according to investigators.
Authorities said Clarke then exited through the rear sliding glass door while armed with the knife and advanced toward several officers. After officers ordered her to drop the weapon, Gant fired multiple rounds, striking Clarke.
Officers rendered medical aid, but Clarke was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:24 a.m. Investigators recovered a knife at the scene.
Investigation continues
The fatal shooting remains under investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, which is responsible for investigating police use of deadly force in New Jersey.
The Attorney General’s Office said the recordings were released under a policy adopted in 2019 to promote fair, impartial, and transparent investigations of fatal police encounters. Representatives of Clarke’s family were given an opportunity to review the recordings before they were made public.
