Officials say three people were found dead inside a River Road home after officers fatally shot a knife-wielding man at the scene.
PISCATAWAY, NJ — A police-involved shooting at a home on River Road left a man dead and led officers to discover three additional bodies Monday evening, authorities said. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation while county prosecutors examine the deaths inside the house.
Authorities said the case is unfolding on two tracks: a state review of the officer’s use of force and a county homicide investigation into the three people found dead in the residence. Police were called to the home around 5:30 p.m. after a 911 report of a person armed with a knife. Officers encountered a man at the address, shot him during the encounter and later located three more victims inside. Officials have not released identities or ages. The officers involved were evaluated, and no injuries to law enforcement were immediately reported.
According to preliminary information from state and county officials, officers responded to the single-family home after the emergency call and confronted a man holding a knife. Authorities said the man advanced during the encounter and was shot by officers. After securing the scene, police searched the residence and found three people dead in separate areas of the home. Investigators remained on River Road late into the night, and crime-scene tape blocked the property as neighbors watched from sidewalks. “We are aware of the horrific crime in Middlesex County tonight. All our members that were involved are OK and being evaluated,” State Policemen’s Benevolent Association President Peter Andreyev said in a brief statement.
State officials said the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability is leading the review of the fatal police shooting, as required under New Jersey law for deaths involving law enforcement. The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office is handling the three deaths discovered in the home and is working to determine how and when those victims died. The relationship between the man shot by police and the people found inside was not immediately clear. Authorities did not release information about the victims’ genders, ages or causes of death, and they said autopsies would be conducted. Detectives interviewed witnesses and canvassed the block while evidence technicians photographed rooms inside the house and searched for video from nearby doorbell cameras.
River Road is a busy corridor lined with older homes, small businesses and access points to Rutgers University’s Busch campus across the township line. Police activity shut down a stretch of the road as marked units, unmarked sedans and county command vehicles arrived. Neighbors said uniformed officers first knocked on doors seeking security footage and then established a wider perimeter as more units responded. One resident who lives two houses away said he heard sirens and saw officers with flashlights crossing the lawn just after dusk. The township, in Middlesex County, is home to roughly 60,000 people and borders New Brunswick and Franklin Township.
Under state policy, the Attorney General’s Office investigates all deaths during encounters with police, including shootings, and releases findings when the review is complete. That process typically includes obtaining body-worn camera footage, interviewing the involved officers and civilian witnesses, and consulting forensic reports. The county homicide investigation will run on a parallel track. Prosecutors often wait for autopsy results from the medical examiner before confirming identities and causes of death. Officials said more details, including the names of the deceased and the officers’ assignments, would be provided after next-of-kin notifications and preliminary findings.
In the hours after the shooting, residents gathered behind yellow tape and shared terse updates as rumor gave way to official statements. “It’s shocking. This is usually a quiet stretch,” said Maria Lopez, who said she walks her dog past the house most evenings and watched police go in and out of the front door. Another neighbor, who declined to give his name, said he saw patrol cars arrive and a command post set up near a driveway. By late evening, a tow truck idled along the curb while investigators collected bags of evidence under portable lights.
As of early Tuesday, the investigation remained active. Authorities said they expect to release preliminary findings and any available body-camera footage after standard reviews. Officials did not announce arrests related to the three deaths inside the home. Autopsy results and identifications are pending. Additional updates are expected later today as investigators process evidence and complete interviews.
Author note: Last updated January 6, 2026.