NJ Gunman Shot, Killed While Holding Baby: Body Cam Videos Released

LONG BRANCH, NJ — On Wednesday, the New Jersey Attorney General's office released video footage of the fatal police shooting that occurred November 6 in Long Branch.

This was the shooting where police say Mark D. Walker, II, 34, of Woodbridge, Va., first barricaded himself in an apartment for hours, shot and wounded a police officer and then ran out of the apartment building holding an infant and firing at police. Walker was shot and killed by police.

The baby was not injured in the shooting at all, said police.

The fatal shooting remains under investigation by the NJ Attorney General. There are four video recordings, two from police body-worn cameras, a mobile video recorder in a police car and a fourth taken from a residential camera. The NJ Attorney General publicly posted the videos online: Click here for recordings. (Editor's note: While it was very dark that night, the videos are difficult to make out, but gunfire, screaming and a baby crying can be heard. Some viewers may find the videos disturbing or upsetting.)

In this first video, officers can be heard firing multiple rounds of bullets, presumably at Walker. And then an infant makes a small gurgling sound and police shout "I got the baby; I got the baby!" The video also shows a police officer unswaddling the baby, presumably to check the infant's welfare, and blood can be seen on the swaddling blanket.

This video shows the shooting much more clearly: https://njoag.app.box.com/s/06...

Here is the video from a neighbor's home security camera: https://njoag.app.box.com/s/06...

The recordings are being released in response to an OPRA request and pursuant to policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 that are designed to promote the fair, impartial and transparent investigation of fatal police encounters, said acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew Bruck.

Also on Wednesday, investigators met with Walker’s family to review the recordings.

How the incident began

What would become an hours-long police stand-off began at 5:10 p.m. Nov. 5, when members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office were attempting to execute a search warrant on the 200 block of Chelsea Avenue, Apartment 1, in Long Branch.

Walker was wanted in connection with a murder investigation.

As county detectives were entering the home, Walker shot one of the detectives in the lower leg, said the Attorney General. The detectives repositioned outside of the building, and Walker barricaded himself inside the apartment with an infant child.

Members of the Monmouth County Emergency Response Team (SWAT) were deployed to the scene.

The police stand-off then lasted for hours, until around 2:00 a.m. on Nov. 6, when a fire erupted in the apartment and Walker fled the building holding the infant in his arms.

Walker fired several rounds from a handgun at officers, striking a BearCat armored personnel vehicle parked in the roadway, said the AG. Three members of the Monmouth County Emergency Response Team returned fire, hitting Walker, who was later pronounced dead at the scene. The infant was not injured.

The officers who fired at Walker were previously identified as Patrolman Eric Voorand of the Manalapan Township Police Department, Patrolman Daniel Murphy of the Howell Township Police Department and Patrolman Omar Akel of the Middletown Township Police Department.

The county detective who was shot in the leg was taken to a local hospital and discharged later in the evening.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.

Initial Patch report: Long Branch Man Wanted In Murder Investigation Killed In Shootout

Get great local news. Sign up for Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com