MOONACHIE, New Jersey (WABC) — An investigation is underway after a man was fatally shot by a New Jersey State trooper on Wednesday, and found in a crashed vehicle in an industrial area on West Commercial Avenue in Moonachie, according to authorities.
The incident occurred at about 5:15 p.m. in what witnesses described as an unusually active scene in an area that is typically quiet.
Roberto Maldonado said he and a friend had just left work when they saw a Kia Soul crashed into a concrete wall outside a food warehouse.
“One guy is on the floor and the police arrest. Coming 20, 30 police — move, move, move! The other guy is in the car… shot,” Maldonado said.
Authorities said the man in the vehicle was shot and killed by a New Jersey state trooper. Blood appeared to be visible on the vehicle’s airbag, and the driver’s door was open. Sources told Eyewitness News the man was shot in the neck.
Angel Burns, who works in the area, said the shooting was unsettling.
“Every night I pass here. I see mad police. I really don’t know what happened, but somebody told me somebody got shot. That’s really, really scaring me. It’s a quiet area,” Burns said.
Several unmarked police vehicles appeared to have been following the driver before the crash. Officials have not said what prompted the encounter.
Federal ATF agents were also at the scene along with state and local police. The agency generally investigates offenses involving firearms and explosives.
Authorities have not said why officers engaged the man before the shooting. It remains unclear whether he was armed, whether he was the subject of an investigation, or whether anyone else was taken into custody.
The New Jersey State Police Weapons Trafficking Unit was also present at the scene. The state attorney general’s office is investigating the police-involved shooting.
Authorities have not released the names of either the trooper involved or the man who was killed.
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