The identities of the man who was fatally shot by a police officer in Elizabeth, NJ, have been released. The man has been identified as Estiben Alegria-Hurtado, 42, of Elizabeth, and the officer involved is Steven Lazo. The incident occurred on July 29 when police responded to a call about an unwanted person at a home. The investigation is ongoing. Alexis Tarrazi reported
The identities of the police officer and the individual who was fatally shot by law enforcement in Elizabeth over the weekend have been disclosed. Estiben Alegria-Hurtado, a 42-year-old resident of Elizabeth, was the man who died during the incident. The Elizabeth Police Officer involved in the incident has been identified as Steven Lazo, according to a statement from the Attorney General’s Office. The preliminary investigation revealed that a 911 call was made on July 29 regarding an unwanted person at a residence on Amity Street in Elizabeth. Police arrived at the scene and encountered Alegria-Hurtado, leading Officer Lazo to discharge his firearm. A knife was found near Alegria-Hurtado. Medical personnel provided assistance to Alegria-Hurtado, who was then transported to University Hospital in Newark where he was pronounced dead the following day. Under a 2019 law, the Attorney General’s Office is required to conduct investigations into deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity or while the person is in custody. These investigations must be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports indictments against the officers involved. The investigation is ongoing, and no further details have been released at this time..