Cherry Hill officer fired weapon as 63-year-old man shot himself, investigators say
A man who died Oct. 11 in Cherry Hill, and an officer who investigators say discharged his firearm as the man pulled out a gun and shot himself, have been identified.
Earlier:State investigating fatal shooting by Cherry Hill officer
The New Jersey Attorney General's Office, which is investigating the incident, said Joseph Bestick Jr., 63 was pronounced dead at the scene of a residence in the 3000 block of Chapel Avenue West. The agency said Cherry Hill Police officers responded to a request for a wellness check at the address and found Bestick, who reached for a firearm and shot himself.
Officer Jared Fox fired his service weapon, the Attorney General's Office said. The state Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability is required by law to conduct an investigation any time a death occurs during an encounter with law enforcement or while the decedent is in custody.
The agency said the investigation is ongoing.
Phaedra Trethan has been a reporter and editor in South Jersey since 2007 and has covered Camden and surrounding areas since 2015, concentrating on issues relating to quality of life and social justice for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. She's called South Jersey home since 1971. Contact her with feedback, news tips or questions at ptrethan@gannettnj.com, on Twitter @By_Phaedra, or by phone at 856.486-2417.
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Cherry Hill NJ shooting investigated as cop, deceased man ID'd
