Attorney General’s Office Investigating Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting in Newark

***UPDATED WITH IDENTITY OF SHOOTING OFFICER***

For Immediate Release: January 6, 2021

Office of The Attorney General
– Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney General
Office of Public Integrity and Accountability
– Thomas J. Eicher, Director

For Further Information:

Media Inquiries-
Peter Aseltine
609-292-4791
Citizen Inquiries-
609-984-5828

NEWARK – The Attorney General’s Office is conducting an investigation of a shooting that occurred just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2021, in which an officer of the Newark Police Department fatally shot Carl Dorsey III, 39, of South Orange, N.J.

The Attorney General’s Office today released the identity of the officer who fired his service weapon at Mr. Dorsey. He is Detective Rod Simpkins of the Newark Police Department.

According to the preliminary investigation, the shooting occurred shortly after midnight near Woodland Avenue and South 11th Street in Newark, N.J.  Officers on patrol responded to the area. During the incident, Detective Simpkins fired his 9mm service weapon, striking Mr. Dorsey. Officers provided medical aid to Mr. Dorsey and he was transported by emergency medical personnel to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced deceased at 1:37 a.m.

The investigation is being conducted pursuant to a law enacted in January 2019, P.L.2019, c.1, 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.

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

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