Case Explained:This article breaks down the legal background, charges, and implications of Case Explained: Hunterdon man dies after police handcuffing – Legal Perspective
FRANKLIN (Hunterdon) – The state Attorney’s Office is investigating the death of a Pittstown man who died after he was handcuffed while being detained by law enforcement on March 10.
Steven Fitzpatrick, 61, died March 15 at Hunterdon Medical Center, according to the Office of Attorney General. The cause and manner of the death remain under investigation.
The incident began at about 10:07 a.m. March 10 when township police Officer Tyler Sutton was dispatched to a property on Locust Grove Road after a 911 caller reported that a family member, who had left the property after a dispute, threatened to return with a gun.
While speaking to the 911 caller on the scene, according to the Officer of Attorney General, Sutton saw the individual described by the caller, later identified as Fitzpatrick, drive onto the property.
Sutton approached the vehicle and ordered Fitzpatrick to get out of the vehicle so he could be detained and searched for weapons. Township Police Officer Mitchell Molina and Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Detective John Laurencelle arrived on the scene to assist.
While the three officers handcuffed Fitzpatrick, he suffered an apparent medical episode, according to the Office of Attorney General. The officers provided medical aid until emergency medical personnel arrived and took Fitzpatrick to the hospital where he died five days later.
No further information is being released at this time.
State law requires requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. The law requires that all investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.
Email: mdeak@MyCentralJersey.com