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Two Mantua Township police officers responded to a 911 call at the Elm Avenue home of Charles Sharp III, 49, shortly after 1:30 a.m. Sept 14, Bruck said.
Sharp had called police to report that several people were trespassing on his property, including someone armed with a gun, the attorney general said.
He was shot by one of the officers when they encountered him outside the house, Bruck said. A detailed replica of a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun was found nearby, he said.
Officers and medical personnel rendered first aid before Sharp was taken to Jefferson Washington Township Hospital, where the United States Air Force veteran was pronounced dead at 2:49 a.m., Bruck said.
The recordings are posted here: Mantua Township Police-Involved Shooting
Born in San Diego, CA, Sharp grew up in Mantua and graduated (Class of 1991) from Clearview Regional High School in Mullica Hill, according to his obituary.
He was a member of the 177th Fighter Wing during more than 21 years of service with the Air Force, it says.
State law and attorney general guidelines require investigations of all deaths in New Jersey that occur “during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody," Bruck said.
The guidelines guarantee that the investigation by Bruck’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) is done “in a full, impartial and transparent manner."
Once the investigation is complete, the results are presented to a grand jury -- ordinarily consisting of 16 to 23 citizens -- that determines whether or not criminal charges are in order.
Investigators met with Sharp's family and their attorney before releasing the recordings, Bruck said. Their investigation was continuing, he said.
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