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Mohamed Bounaouar, 42, of Las Vegas was pronounced dead shortly after 10:30 a.m. Feb. 4, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Monday, Feb. 13.
New Jersey law and his office's guidelines require an investigation, no matter the circumstances, because the death occurred during an encounter with police.
Residents of the Cedar Court condominium on John Street called and told police that a knife-wielding man was "acting in a threatening manner," Platkin said.
Officers and detectives, along with firefighters and members of the Fort Lee Emergency Services Unit, converged on the home.
All but one person was escorted out, Platkins said.
"In the course of the attempted evacuation, officers encountered Mr. Bounaouar wielding a knife," the attorney general said. "During the interaction with Mr. Bounaouar, Officer Gabriel Avella, Detective John Gallo, Detective Stephen Domenick, and Officer Matthew Lyle discharged their firearms."
Bounaouar "was pronounced deceased at approximately 10:39 a.m. Authorities recovered a knife near the decedent," Platkin said.
An officer reportedly was wounded by a ricocheting bullet. Four others were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
Platkin's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) investigates all deaths that occur in New Jersey “during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody," no matter what the circumstances are.
His investigators must follow guidelines that guarantee the review is done “in a full, impartial and transparent manner," removing politics or personal agendas.
Once the investigation is complete, the results are presented to a grand jury.
The grand jury reviews a host of evidence -- including witness interviews, body and dashcam video, and forensic and autopsy results -- to determine whether or not there was cause to suspect any wrongdoing on the part of law enforcement.
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