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A 911 domestic violence call brought Hamilton Township police to an Orchard Avenue home around 10 p.m. March 8, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Saturday.
"During the encounter, a civilian armed with a rifle exchanged gunfire with two officers," Platkin said. "The civilian was fatally wounded and pronounced dead at the scene. One officer was also struck and is being treated in a hospital for his injuries.
"A firearm was recovered near the civilian."
The officer was recovering after surgery at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, union members said.
All of the identities were temporarily being withheld.
"Our thoughts are with the officer and his partner...and with the family of the decedent who suffered a tragic loss," Platkin said. "We will also keep the entire Hamilton Township Police Department and the loved ones of all those affected in our prayers."
A year ago this Sunday, March 10, Deptford Township Police Officer Bobby Shisler was shot, the New Jersey State PBA noted. Shisler died two months later.
"His bravery and sacrifice we remember every day," the PBA wrote. "The danger we face is never lost on us.
"Thank you for all who have reached out."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 guidelines guarantee that the investigation is done “in a full, impartial and transparent manner," removing politics or personal agendas, Platkin has said.
Once the investigation by the attorney general's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) team is completed, the results will be presented to the grand jury “in a neutral, objective manner, and with appropriate transparency,” he said.
The panel will then render a ruling on whether the incident was handled appropriately.
Someone in the early weeks of the process, police body camera footage and images captured by area security cameras will be shared with the defendant’s family and then publicly released.
Platkin on Saturday asked everyone to remember "the daily risks our law enforcement officers take to keep our communities safe."
He also emphasized that having firearms around "escalates domestic incidents" in certain homes, with access to a gun "increasing the likelihood of a homicide by 1,000%."
"We are working together to disrupt cycles of violence, end gun violence, protect our law enforcement officers, and support victims and survivors of violence as they work to rebuild their lives," the attorney general said.
HELP IS AVAILABLE: If you or someone you know is a domestic violence victim, you or they can call: 1-800-572-SAFE (7233). Help is available round the clock.
Platkin also urged anyone in crisis who's concerned about firearms in the home to immediately contact their local police department, county prosecutor's office or even his office to learn about extreme risk protection orders and how to get one.
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