Man Dies After Shootout With Police In Jersey City: New Jersey Attorney General

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Hours after a man allegedly shot at two Jersey City police cars on Friday, the state Attorney General's Office reported that a man had died in a "police involved shooting."

While the state did not officially link the man to the earlier incident with police, the message indicated the same time and location as the shootout.

At 11 p.m. on Friday, the state Attorney General's Office said in a message: "The Attorney General’s Office is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred on Friday, Sept. 5, at approximately 1:23 p.m. on John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City, New Jersey. One male civilian sustained fatal injuries. His identity and the identities of the officers involved are not being released at this time."

On Friday afternoon, a Jersey City spokesperson told Patch that a man had shot at two police vehicles on John F. Kennedy Blvd., on the city's western edge, just before 1:30 p.m. A police sergeant had exited one of the vehicles and "engaged" the suspect, the spokesperson said, but declined to elaborate, when asked for more details.

Four police officers were taken to the hospital to be treated for trauma, but they were not shot, she said.

The suspect was also taken to the hospital in "unknown condition," the spokesperson said.

According to a 2019 law, the state must investigate all deaths occurring as part of an encounter with law enforcement.

The state said the investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time.

Earlier Reporting

On Friday, city public safety spokeswoman Kim Wallace-Scalcione said that just before 1:30 p.m., two marked police cars came under fire while heading southbound on John F. Kennedy Boulevard near Clinton Avenue.

The armed male shooter fired "multiple rounds," striking both cars, she said.

No civilians were injured during the incident.

"A thorough investigation will be conducted by the appropriate investigatory units," she said. "We encourage anyone with information pertinent to the investigation to reach out to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office."

As a result of the investigation, a portion of Kennedy Blvd. through Jersey City remained closed Friday.

The incident came a day after federal and local officials apprehended 16 out of 19 suspects in Jersey City in connection with an investigation into drug trafficking among a local street gang. READ MORE: 16 Jersey City Gang Members Arrested By Federal Agents In Trafficking Probe: Officials