The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is conducting two investigation of a police-involved shootings that occurred in Millville and Paterson.
On Jan. 4, in Millville, One male civilian sustained fatal injuries. His identity is not being released at this time. No one else was injured.
According to the preliminary investigation, the shooting occurred shortly after 9:30 p.m. yesterday outside a residence on Burns Road in Millville. Officers of the Millville Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting an emergency at the residence. After officers arrived, they encountered a male resident outside the house. During the encounter, one officer discharged his service weapon, fatally wounding the man. Officers and emergency medical personnel rendered first aid to the man, and he was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 10:56 p.m.
On Dec. 29, 2021 in Paterson, N.J. One male civilian sustained fatal injuries. The victim has been identified as Thelonious McKnight, 25, of Paterson
According to the preliminary investigation, officers of the Paterson Police Department were investigating an earlier incident when they encountered Mr. McKnight near East Main Street and Hillman Street shortly before 9 p.m. During the encounter, one police officer fired his service weapon, fatally wounding Mr. McKnight. A 9mm handgun was recovered near Mr. McKnight. Police and emergency medical personnel rendered first aid to Mr. McKnight, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene by a physician from St. Joseph’s University Medical Center at 9:11 p.m.
This investigations are being conducted pursuant to Attorney General Directive 2019-4, which implements the statutory requirement that the Attorney General’s Office conduct the investigation of any death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody, and which establishes clear standards and procedures for conducting such investigations.