Domestic Incident Leads To Police-Involved Shooting In Secaucus

SECAUCUS, NJ — What started as a domestic incident led to a shoot-out between police and an individual in the Harmon Cove condo complex in Secaucus Sunday evening, Dec. 1, according to Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnelli.

The Attorney General’s Shooting Response Task Force is conducting an investigation of the officer-involved shooting that occurred early Sunday evening in the 300 block of Sea Isle Key in the Harmon Cove residential development in Secaucus. One man suffered fatal injuries during the incident, authorities said.

"There was a shooting in Harmon Cove Sunday night," said Gonnelli. "No Secaucus police officers were injured. Nobody from Secaucus was hurt. The situation is under control now."

Residents in the normally quiet Harmon Cove condo community reported hearing as many as 20 gunshots starting at about 6 p.m. Sunday, and what looked like a police chase — or search — through the woods. Others saw police canines being used.

One resident said he looked out his window to see a man with a gun standing next to a car.

"We did hear the gunshots and initially we thought it was some fireworks,"said Harmon Cove resident Felix Arockiaraj. "When we peaked through the window we saw a man with a gun, standing next to the car. And the car was in the middle of the road. The moment we saw someone with the gun, we turned off the lights and and we ran away from windows and stayed low for the next hour or so."

"Then a series of gunshots, lot of cops, SWAT team, Hudson hospital ambulance vehicles," he continued. "Even now cops have secured the perimeter and set up flood lights."

Said another Harmon Cove resident:

"I heard around four rounds of shooting at around 6 p.m. I initially thought it’s some fireworks ... This is bad here ... I see a bunch of cops walking around heavily armed and with torch lights."

The same resident said he had no idea what was going on, until he tried to walk outside and was screamed at by police officers to get back inside his condo.

"I tried to go outside and see people (later I realized they are cops) shouting at me to get inside," he said.

"I would say there had to be as many as 15-20 shots at different intervals," said another resident. "I was on the phone and told the person I was talking to, 'Sounds like shooting outside.' I thought, couldn't be. Not in this neighborhood. I thought (it) was someone banging on something."

A fourth resident, a woman, said she saw many police cars and flashlights bobbing through the woods of the development.

"It looked like they were looking for somebody, with police cars going up and down the roads," she said.

The Hudson County SWAT unit was also called in, as were police from surrounding towns, such as Jersey City and East Rutherford.

"The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office and the Secaucus Police Department are involved in an active police investigation on Sea Isle Key in Harmon Cove, Secaucus. Please avoid the area at this time. More information to follow," said county prosecutor Esther Suarez in a tweet.

“It was a horrible thing,” Gonnelli told NorthJersey.com. “It was a domestic situation.”

A shelter-in-place was issued to Harmon Cove residents Sunday night, telling them to stay in their homes, the mayor said. As of 7:40 p.m., the shelter in place has now been lifted, he said.

This Patch reporter was on the scene and as of 6:30 p.m. Sunday night, a heavy police presence was observed on Harmon Blvd. near Dunlin Plaza and Sunset Key. Harmon Boulevard was blocked off from traffic entirely in that area.

Harmon Cove is a roughly 500-unit wooded condo complex in Secaucus, set back among densely wooded pathways and on the banks of the Hackensack River. There are many wooded paths throughout Harmon Cove.

The situation was serious enough that law enforcement from surrounding towns were called in: A Harmon Cove resident told Patch she saw chunky black Jersey City police department (JCPD) vehicles and Emergency Services vehicles pull up to the scene.

Do you live in Harmon Cove? Email carly.baldwin@patch.com if you want to report what you are seeing and hearing.

Stay tuned for updates to this rapidly developing story.