Daniel Nevius Sr., 55, of Sicklerville, was shot and killed in a wooded area of the Gloucester County town of Deptford on Sunday, Jan. 22.
Officers confronted Nevius at a location on Fox Run Road in response to a 911 call shortly before 1:30 p.m., according to a release from NJ Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin's office.
They were joined there by New Jersey State Police troopers, neighbors said.
A short time later, Deptford Police Officer Luke Ivey "fired his service weapon...striking Mr. Nevius," the release from Platkin's office says. "Emergency medical personnel responded to render aid to Mr. Nevius, who was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:55 p.m."
State law and his own guidelines require the AG's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) to investigate the circumstances behind any death that occurs during an interaction with police.
The guidelines guarantee that the investigation is done “in a full, impartial and transparent manner," removing politics or personal agendas that any prosecutors might have.
Once the OPIA 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.
The process requires transparency, including the public release of any bodycam footage or other video collected as part of the investigation.
While the review is underway, Nevius's son, Daniel Jr., is asking for financial help through GoFundMe.
Daniel Nevius Jr., who has had his own run-ins with the law, called his father "the glue to our family," someone who would "do anything for anyone and with no questions asked."
Nevius Sr., also known as "Pops." is "one of many close family members we have lost in such a short period of time," his son wrote. "Please help us send him off to heaven the way he deserved."
"All proceeds will go towards his funeral expenses and any leftover donations will be distributed throughout the family," he added.
GO TO: Pops Funeral Fund (GoFundMe)
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