The man, Gary Boyd Sr., 42, was shot four times outside a house on Cedar Lane by an unnamed Hamilton police officer on Nov. 15, 2013
HAMILTON - A Hamilton police officer was justified when he shot a man who refused to drop a knife he held in his hand during an incident in 2013, according to a report issued by the Mercer County Prosecutors Office Thursday.
The man, Gary Boyd Sr., 42, was shot four times outside a house on Cedar Lane by an unnamed Hamilton police officer on Nov. 15, 2013. Boyd was later pronounced dead at Capital Health Regional Medical Center, but a medical examiner determined Boyd died of a self-inflicted knife wound that pierced his heart, not from officer's bullets, according to the report.
"It is the conclusion of the office that the actions of (the officer) were both reasonable and justified, and that he used an acceptable level of force during his encounter with the suspect," the report said.
RELATED: Hamilton police shoot man with knife
The report in response to a new directive from the Office of the Attorney General, which calls for law enforcement to publish the findings of investigations into police-involved shootings, the report said.
Four officers responded to the 1300 block of Cedar Avenue around 10 p.m. on a report of a domestic violence incident and found Boyd in a neighbor's driveway, holding a knife.
One of the officers told Boyd to drop the knife. Boyd raised his arm and threw the knife at one of the officers. As he did, one of the officers opened fire, hitting Boyd four times.
The report says that Boyd was a relative of one of the officers. It does not say which one.
Boyd was taken to Capital Health Regional, where he was pronounced dead, the report says.
On the night of the shooting, Boyd sent a text message to a friend of his estranged wife that said: "I'm either going to die tonight or go to jail.''
Boyd's wife left the friend's house and went home to call police. While on the phone with police, Boyd emerged from a basement door and pulled a knife from his jacket and said he was "going to end it,'' the report says.
RELATED: Hamilton man shot by police dies of self-inflicted knife wound
The woman ran out of the house, with Boyd chasing her. The woman saw Boyd stab himself in the stomach, heard officers order him to drop the knife and then heard gunshots, the report says.
Boyd was shot in the right forearm, right upper arm, in the right hip and in the left arm, the report says.
Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.
