Fatality in Lobby Bathroom at NJ State Police Station Under Investigation

New Jersey Attorney General’s Office probes death of a male in Bellmawr Station’s lobby restroom following a DUI arrest.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is currently investigating a fatality that occurred at the New Jersey State Police Bellmawr Station lobby bathroom on November 8, 2023. The incident involved an adult male who was declared deceased after a medical emergency post-DUI arrest.

In a somber incident at the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Bellmawr Station, an adult male, whose identity remains confidential, was found unresponsive in the station's lobby bathroom and was pronounced dead early Wednesday. 

The Attorney General’s Office has stepped in to investigate the circumstances leading to the fatality, which followed the man’s release from police custody after a DUI-related arrest.

The series of events unfolded on November 7, when NJSP officers responded to a motor vehicle accident involving the deceased at around 11:05 p.m. After being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, he was processed and later released from the Bellmawr Station. 

Shortly thereafter, he suffered a medical episode in the lobby's restroom, rendering him unresponsive. Despite the immediate life-saving attempts by state troopers and emergency medical personnel, the individual was pronounced dead at 3:24 a.m.

In accordance with a 2019 statute, P.L. 2019, c. 1, the Attorney General’s Office is mandated to investigate any death occurring during police encounters or in custody. 

The law also requires such cases to be brought before a grand jury to decide on potential indictments against the involved officers. 

The Attorney General's investigation aims to determine if the death falls within the statute's parameters. 

With the investigation underway, the office has not disclosed further details at this juncture.