Man Fatally Shot By Police Officer In Union County, Identities Released

ELIZABETH, NJ — The identities of the officer and the man who was fatally shot by police in Elizabeth this past weekend was released on Wednesday.

The man who died during the encounter on Saturday has been identified as Estiben Alegria-Hurtado, 42, of Elizabeth and the Elizabeth Police Officer is identified as Steven Lazo, announced the Attorney General’s Office.

On July 29 at around 7:59 a.m., a 911 call was made to Elizabeth Police about an unwanted person at a home on Amity Street in Elizabeth, according to the preliminary investigation.

At 8:04 a.m., police arrived at the home and encountered Algeria-Hurtado. At around 8:05 a.m., Officer Lazo fired his gun, according to the investigation

Authorities found a knife near Algeria-Hurtado, according to the investigation.

Officers rendered aid to Algeria-Hurtado, who was then taken by emergency medical personnel to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead at 11:36 p.m. Sunday, July 30.

A 2019 law, P.L. 2019, c. 1, requires the Attorney General’s Office to 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.

It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.

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

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