N.J. AG investigating why man died in police custody

A man died less than 90 minutes after he was arrested in Ocean County on Friday, spurring an investigation by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.

Officers from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office and Toms River and Island Heights police departments were involved in arresting the man, who told them he was having a medical episode, officials said.

The man’s identity has not yet been released.

Police approached the man at about 1 p.m. Friday at a gas station on Route 37 near West End Avenue in Toms River, according to the Attorney General’s Office. He refused to get out of his parked vehicle, citing a medical episode, according to a news release.

Officers arrested him and provided medical attention at the scene, officials said. He was then transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was pronounced dead at about 2:25 p.m.

State law requires the Attorney General’s Office to investigate all deaths during arrests, as well as those that occur under law enforcement custody. The findings must be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports an indictment against the officer or officers involved.

The investigation is ongoing, and no further information is being released at this time, according to the news release.

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Adam Clark may be reached at aclark@njadvancemedia.com.