Man In Police-Involved Shooting Died By Suicide: NJ AG

HARDWICK, NJ — The New Jersey Attorney General's Office says a man who died in a police-involved shooting last year died by suicide before the officers fired their weapons. The man's family disputes that assessment.

Todd Gregory, 47, of Corman, New York, was being sought by police in New Jersey following a New York incident in June of last year. Police in New York warned the New Jersey State Police that Corman might try to commit "suicide by cop," where someone goads police into shooting them.

Officers in New Jersey found Gregory in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area following a search on foot and by car. Trooper Gerald Dellagicoma, the officer that shot Gregory, said he saw Gregory load a shotgun; multiple officers say they told Gregory to drop the gun, but he refused.

Dellagicoma reportedly heard Gregory fire his gun; Dellagicoma fired four times at Gregory in response. Gregory was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy revealed that Gregory had five gunshot wounds, including one to the chest officials say was self-inflicted. A medical examiner ruled that the gunshot wound to the chest caused "devastating and unsurvivable injuries" before the officer shot, and ruled Gregory's death a suicide.

An attorney representing Gregory's family, Shelley Stangler, said the family disputed the ruling that the use of force was justified, telling NJ.com, "This death could have and should have been avoided."

Stangler said the family had been kept in the dark on the investigation, and has not been able to conduct their own forensic autopsy. The family also disputed that Gregory was attempting "suicide by cop" at the time of the shooting.