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A mandatory review of the incident that is required of New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has been left in the hands of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, the prosecutor herself said on Thursday, May 11.
Officers responding to a call of a man shooting a gun in the area of Passaic Avenue and Lackawanna Place near the train station encountered the suspect shortly before 6:30 p.m. May 10, Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora told Daily Voice.
“One Passaic police officer discharged his serviced-issued firearm, striking the individual,” said Valdes, the prosecutor. “That individual was transported to the hospital for medical treatment for injuries that are described as non-life threatening. A handgun was recovered at the scene.”
Responders said the shooter was hit four times by gunfire. He had yet to be identified by noontime Thursday.
No officers or other civilians were injured, said Lora, the mayor.
"A resident was the first to call it in," he said. "Her immediate concern and action aided our police tremendously in responding so quickly. She along with all who called 911 and our police are heroes and prevented any further injuries or tragedies."
Two officers were also taken to the hospital for evaluations under standard operating procedure for police-involved shootings in New Jersey.
Train service on NJ Transit's Main Line continued through the area without a stop there.
State law and his own guidelines require Platkin to review deaths that occur “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, the attorney general has said.
The guidelines guarantee that the investigation is done “in a full, impartial and transparent manner," removing politics or personal agendas, he said.
The investigation ordinarily is conducted by Platkin’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). In this instance, the OPIA “appointed the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office as the Independent investigator, Valdes said.
Once the investigation by her team is completed, the results will be presented to the grand jury “in a neutral, objective manner, and with appropriate transparency,” Platkin said.
The panel will then render a ruling on whether the incident was handled according to the attorney general's guidelines.
Someone in the early weeks of the process, police body camera footage and anything images captured by area security cameras will be shared with the defendant’s family and then publicly released as part of the process.
“The investigation into this matter, including the use of force by police, remains active and ongoing,” Valdes said in a statement late Thursday morning. “At this time, further information will not be released so as not to jeopardize the investigation in progress.”
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