Bodycam shows officer tried to talk man down before fatal shooting
Luke Mendez, age 26, was fatally shot by a policeman on April 24 in Old Bridge, New Jersey, while he was holding a knife.
After receiving a 911 call reporting a dispute at a residence on Woodland Avenue in the Laurence Harbor area, police were called to the location.
Officer Christopher Hammel was welcomed at the residence by an unnamed woman who told him Mendez was upstairs.
At least two other individuals can be seen inside the home discussing whether the woman was justified in placing cameras inside in body-camera footage released by the Attorney General's Office. One of the neighbors claimed that she was "threatening (Mendez) with the cops."
Officer Hammel called Mendez up the stairs during the encounter, and he showed up at the top of the staircase holding a large knife. Mendez ignored the officer's repeated requests for him to lay down his weapon.
Hammel fired three rounds as Mendez descended the stairs with the knife after roughly two minutes of trying to get him to change his mind.
After the shooting, Hammel requested backup and medical assistance. At Old Bridge Medical Center, Mendez was declared dead after being transported there.
As is usual in situations where a person dies while in the custody of the police or as a result of the actions of a police officer, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office is looking into this incident.
A grand jury will investigate the case after the inquiry is finished to decide if the officer's actions were appropriate or whether criminal charges need to be filed.
Contact Chris Sheldon at [email protected].
