Crime & Safety

Details Still Sparse About Fatality In Newark Park

The Attorney General's Office is trying to determine whether the death falls under a law that applies to police-involved shootings.

NEWARK, NJ — Details remain sparse about an incident that left a man dead in a Newark park earlier this week.

On Wednesday evening, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General issued a statement about what it called a "fatality," which took place Tuesday. The identity of the deceased man wasn’t released.

According to the attorney general’s office:

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“According to the preliminary investigation, members of the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force were in the area of West Side Park in Newark and were accompanied by members of additional local law enforcement agencies when the incident occurred. The male was later declared deceased at 3:49 p.m. at University Hospital.”

The statement didn’t specify whether the fatal incident involved a police shooting, as several news reports claim. However, the attorney general’s office pointed out that state law requires it to conduct investigations when a person dies during an encounter with an on-duty law enforcement officer.

“At this time, the Attorney General’s Office is investigating to determine whether this death falls under the purview of the statute,” authorities said. “As the investigation is ongoing, no further information is being released at this time.”

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