FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is investigating the death of a man following a police encounter earlier this month in Franklin Township.
Authorities identified the man as Steven Fitzpatrick, 61, of Pittstown. He was pronounced dead March 15, several days after the March 10 incident.
According to a preliminary investigation, Franklin Township Police Officer Tyler Sutton responded around 10:07 a.m. to a property on Locust Grove Road after a 911 caller reported that a family member had left following a dispute and threatened to return with a firearm.
While speaking with the caller, Sutton observed the individual, later identified as Fitzpatrick, return to the property in a vehicle.
Police said Sutton approached the vehicle and ordered Fitzpatrick to exit so he could be detained and searched for weapons. Officer Mitchell Molina and Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Detective John Laurencelle arrived to assist.
While being handcuffed by the officers, Fitzpatrick suffered an apparent medical episode, according to officials. Officers provided aid until emergency medical personnel arrived and transported him to Hunterdon Medical Center.
Fitzpatrick later died at the hospital.
The state Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability is leading the investigation. Officials said the circumstances of the encounter, as well as the cause and manner of death, remain under investigation.
State law requires the Attorney General’s Office to investigate deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity or while a person is in custody. The findings must be presented to a grand jury to determine whether charges are warranted.
