The Attorney General’s Office is investigating a death that occurred following an encounter with law enforcement on May 9, 2024, in Brick Township, Ocean County, New Jersey. One adult male civilian died after an apparent medical episode. His identity is not being released at this time.
According to the preliminary investigation, shortly after 4:27 p.m. on May 9, 2024, officers from the Brick Township Police Department were dispatched to the area of Wisteria Drive and Vermont Drive in Brick Township, where they encountered the adult male in a state of active distress in the street. Officers handcuffed and removed him from the street to a nearby grassy area. EMS also responded to the scene and provided medical attention. The male was transported to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Township, where he was pronounced deceased at the hospital at approximately 5:48 p.m.
A 2019 law, N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.
The investigation into the cause and manner of death and the circumstances of the encounter is ongoing, and no further information is being released at this time.