PATERSON, N.J. – The Attorney General’s Office is conducting an investigation of a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred shortly after 1 a.m. yesterday, May 23, on 16th Avenue in Paterson, N.J. One male civilian sustained fatal injuries.
The decedent has been identified as Christopher Clark, 36, of Paterson, N.J.
The investigation is being conducted by the Integrity Bureau within the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability and the New Jersey State Police Major Crime Bureau.
According to the preliminary investigation, members of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department responded in a marked patrol vehicle at approximately 1:10 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, after gunshots were detected by a ShotSpotter on Park Avenue in Paterson. When the sheriff’s officers arrived in the vicinity, they encountered the subject, later identified as Clark. During the encounter, officers fired at Clark, fatally wounding him. A loaded .45-caliber pistol was recovered near Clark. Clark was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.
This investigation is being conducted pursuant to a law enacted in January 2019, Senate Bill 1036, which requires that the Attorney General’s Office 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.
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