Authorities release video from day of deadly police shooting in Old Bridge
The video shows the moment an Old Bridge police officer shot and killed 26-year-old Luke Mendez inside his home.
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WARNING: The video posted above may be disturbing for some viewers.
The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General has released police body camera video from a deadly police-involved shooting in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge earlier this year.
That shooting happened on April 24 and is currently under investigation. The video shows the moment an Old Bridge police officer shot and killed 26-year-old Luke Mendez inside his home.
Police were called to Woodland Avenue around 3 p.m. for reports of a dispute inside the home.
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Mendez can be seen and heard at the top of the stairs having a verbal exchange with Old Bridge Police Officer Christopher Hammell – who is at the bottom of the stairs. The responding officers seem to have a rapport with Mendez.
A few minutes into that exchange, Mendez is seen charging down the staircase. Officials say that he was armed with a knife. This is when Hammell shot him. Mendez was pronounced dead shortly after.
The shooting is being investigated by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, which is standard when a person dies during a police encounter.
Details about the dispute that led to police being called were not made clear.
News 12 New Jersey has reached out to Mendez’s father for comment but did not hear back. The father has previously stated in published reports that he does not believe the police account and does not believe that the shooting was justified.
