Passaic County officials said that the recent shooting of a domestic violence assault suspect during an incident in Wanaque NJ was justified because the suspect was threatening the victim, and police officers, with a knife.

According to law enforcement, the violent incident went down around 2:00 a.m. at a home on Alexander Avenue in Wanaque, NJ. Police got a call about a domestic violence matter at the house and sent officers with the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Shooting Response Team to the area.

When police officers arrived at the residence, they reportedly saw that the suspect was armed with “a big knife.” Moreover, said police, the suspect was threatening to harm the female victim at the house.

A witness later talked to the local New Jersey media and said that a Passaic County NJ police officer shot the suspect as he approached the cop. The witness also told reporters that the suspect seemed to be suicidal and mentally unstable in the moments leading up to the police shooting.

The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office has not yet provided an official update on the status of the suspect.

If the suspect survived the police shooting, he will probably be subject to criminal charges for aggravated assault and terroristic threats. Additionally, the suspect will also likely have to address the domestic violence situation at a restraining order hearing.

Passaic County police are currently investigating the alleged domestic violence assault, as well as the police shooting. Any members of the public with information about the domestic violence incident, or the suspect, should call the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office tips line at 877-370-PCPO.

To learn more about this case, read the NJ.com article, “Man Shot by Police in Wanaque Had ‘a Big Knife,’ Threatened Woman, Report Says.”