Thursday, March 22, 2012

Police kill NJ man who allegedly brandished knife

BAYONNE, N.J. (AP) - Police in Bayonne have shot and killed a man who allegedly lunged at them with a kitchen knife.

The shooting occurred at a mobile home community Wednesday evening.

The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office says 62-year-old Mariano Vargas was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers were called to the residence about an hour earlier by Vargas' niece, a Bayonne police officer.

County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio says Vargas barricaded an entrance but officers gained access through a rear door. They tried to disarm Vargas, but he lunged at them. Two officers fired five shots, at least 1 of which hit Vargas in the chest. An autopsy report is pending.

DeFazio says Vargas had a history of psychiatric issues and had been acting erratically recently.

The prosecutor's office is investigating the shooting.

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