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NY suspect dies during police vehicle stop in Woodbridge, NJ

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NY suspect dies during police vehicle stop in Woodbridge, NJ

WOODBRIDGE – The Attorney General’s Office is investigating after a man apparently shot himself in the van he was driving after Woodbridge police stopped a vehicle at a gas station on Route 9 last week.

The man’s name has not yet been released by the Attorney General’s Office.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Woodbridge police stopped a vehicle at a gas station on northbound Route 9 at about 6:33 p.m. on June 14. Officers learned that the driver of the van, who was alone in the vehicle, had an arrest warrant from the National Crime Information Center in connection with a criminal investigation in Nassau County, New York, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

Officers ordered the man to exit the car, but he refused and instead went to the back of the car behind a curtain where officers could not see him. Officers smashed the car’s windows and used pepper spray to get the man to exit the vehicle, the Attorney General’s Office said.

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Less than 15 minutes later, officers heard a loud noise that sounded like fireworks, and members of the Woodbridge Police Department’s tactical team, Perth Amboy Police Department and emergency medical services arrived at the scene, the Attorney General’s Office said.

The man was later found dead in the van at around 8:30 p.m., apparently from a gunshot wound. A shotgun that did not belong to the police was found in the vehicle. Preliminary information suggests that no police officer fired their weapons, the Attorney General’s Office said.

The investigation into the circumstances of the man’s death is ongoing. No further information is currently being released.

Under New Jersey state law, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is required to investigate the death of a person when the death occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity or while the person is in police custody.

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Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, covering crime, court cases and other chaos. For unlimited access, subscribe or activate your digital account today.

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