Attorney general investigating fatal police shooting in Lacey Township

A woman was fatally shot by a Lacey Township police officer early Monday during an encounter outside a home in the Lanoka Harbor section of the Ocean County community.

Officers were dispatched to a residence on Hemlock Drive shortly after 2 a.m. March 16, after a 911 caller reported a medical emergency, officials said. During an encounter with the woman outside the home at about 2:44 a.m., one officer fired a service weapon at the woman, who was later pronounced dead.

Authorities said a knife was recovered at the scene outside the residence. The woman’s identity has not yet been released.

The shooting is under investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, which is required under New Jersey law to investigate deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity.

State law also requires the findings of such investigations to be presented to a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against the officer involved. Officials said the investigation is ongoing. No additional details were immediately available.