The Attorney General’s Office today released footage from two body-worn cameras and a surveillance camera related to a fatal police-involved shooting on Jan. 22, 2023, in Deptford, Gloucester County. The decedent was previously identified as Daniel Nevius, Sr., 55, of Sicklerville, NJ. The officer who fired his service weapon at Nevius was identified as Officer Luke Ivey of the Deptford Township Police Department.
The fatal shooting is under investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). The recordings are being released pursuant to policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 to promote the fair, impartial, and transparent investigation of fatal police encounters. Investigators previously met with the family of Mr. Nevius to provide them an opportunity to review the videos before release.
According to the preliminary investigation, Deptford Township Police officers responded to a residence on Fox Run Road in Deptford on Jan. 22, following a 911 call. Officer Ivey fired his service weapon at approximately 1:22 p.m. striking Mr. Nevius. A firearm was found at the scene near Mr. Nevius. Emergency medical personnel responded to render aid to Mr. Nevius, who was pronounced deceased at the scene at 1:55 p.m.
The videos can be viewed here: https://njoag.box.com/s/qpqrq19bly6stwxvwdwnnjjd6jypfnbf
Note: The surveillance footage was obtained from a motion-activated camera, which resulted in non-continuous video files of the incident.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.
This investigation is being conducted pursuant to a state law enacted in January 2019 (P.L. 2019, c.1), which requires that the Attorney General’s Office conduct all investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. Separately, the Independent Prosecutor Directive, which was issued in December 2019, outlines a 10-step process for conducting these investigations. The Directive establishes clear procedures governing such investigations to ensure that they are conducted in a full, impartial and transparent manner. Under both state law and the Directive, when the entire investigation is complete, the case will be presented to a grand jury, typically consisting of 16 to 23 citizens, to make the ultimate decision regarding whether criminal charges will be filed.
Further information about how fatal police encounters are investigated in New Jersey under the Independent Prosecutor Directive is posted on the Attorney General’s website at http://www.njoag.gov/independent-prosecutor/.
