State Investigating Death of Man During Police Response in Brick

Brick Twp. Police car. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The state attorney general’s office on Thursday announced it was investigating the death of a man in Brick Township after police were called to the scene of an as-yet unexplained scenario.

One adult male civilian died after an apparent medical episode, the office of Attorney General Matt Platkin said. His identity is not being released at this time, according to the AG’s statement.

According to the preliminary investigation, shortly after 4:27 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, Brick police officers were dispatched to the area of Wisteria Drive and Vermont Drive, where they encountered the man “in a state of active distress in the street,” the statement said.

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Officers handcuffed and removed him from the street to a nearby grassy area. Brick Police EMS also responded to the scene and provided medical attention. The man was transported to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Township, where he was pronounced deceased at the hospital at approximately 5:48 p.m.

Despite appearing to be a medical episode of some sort, a state law passed in 2019 requires the AG’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. The same law requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against any personnel involved.