ATTORNEY GENERAL’S SHOOTING RESPONSE TASK FORCE INVESTIGATES

FATAL POLICE-INVOLVED SHOOTING IN IRVINGTON, N.J.

IRVINGTON, N.J. –The Attorney General’s Shooting Response Task Force is conducting an investigation of a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred this morning on Myrtle Avenue in Irvington.  Officers of the Irvington Police Department responded to a shooting in which a gunman shot and fatally wounded another civilian.  During the encounter with the gunman, three officers were shot and sustained injuries that were not life threatening.  Multiple officers fired at the gunman, who was fatally wounded.

The deceased gunman has been identified as Kaizen Crossen, 39, of Irvington.

According to the preliminary investigation, the shooting occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. in the 300 block of Myrtle Avenue when police responded to a report of a shooting and a man down.  Crossen, who was armed with a rifle, had shot and fatally wounded another civilian, a 20-year-old man.  That man was not armed.

When the first Irvington police officer arrived, he encountered Crossen and shots were exchanged.  The officer was struck in the lower part of his legs.  Additional Irvington officers arrived at the scene and multiple officers exchanged gunfire with Crossen.  Two officers suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds in those exchanges, and Crossen was fatally wounded.  Crossen and the man he shot were taken to University Hospital in Newark, where they were pronounced dead.  The three officers were also taken to University Hospital, where all were reported in stable condition.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.

This investigation is being conducted pursuant to a law enacted in January 2019, Senate Bill 1036, which requires that the Attorney General’s Office conduct 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.