State investigators say Donald Gardner fired at officers before Officer Robert Reynolds returned fire.
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — A man was killed and two Atlantic City police officers were wounded June 2 when a search warrant service turned into a shootout at a home on North Florida Avenue, state and local officials said.
The shooting has drawn a state investigation because it ended with a death during an encounter with law enforcement. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office identified the man who died as Donald Gardner, also known as Donald Capriotti, 52, of Atlantic City. Officials said Atlantic City Police Officer Robert Reynolds fired the fatal shots. Reynolds was not injured.
The encounter began about 2:55 p.m. on the 100 block of North Florida Avenue, where Atlantic City police and members of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office SWAT team were attempting to serve a search warrant at a residence. Investigators said officers saw the front door open before someone inside closed it. The officers announced themselves and used a mechanical device to breach the door. As the door opened, Gardner, who was inside the home, pulled out a gun and fired at officers, investigators said. Atlantic City Police Chief James Sarkos later said the wounded officers’ colleagues acted fast after the gunfire. “The officers, their actions were extraordinary, definitely contributed to saving his life along with the staff here at the hospital,” Sarkos said.
Investigators said one officer was struck in the helmet and another was shot in the leg. Both were taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center. The more seriously wounded officer was identified by police supporters and union officials as SWAT Sgt. Christian Ivanov, who remained in serious but stable condition after the shooting. The second wounded officer was treated and released. State officials said Reynolds, a third officer at the scene, returned fire and struck Gardner. Gardner was pronounced dead at the residence. Investigators said a handgun was recovered inside the home. Officials have not released the full warrant affidavit, the complete list of officers at the door or all details about what investigators were seeking when the team arrived.
The shooting shut down a block near North Florida and Arctic avenues and brought a large police response to the neighborhood. Video obtained by a local television station captured officers announcing their presence before the sound of gunfire and officers moving for cover. The Attorney General’s Office later said Gardner fired multiple shots as the warrant team entered. Authorities have said the investigation remains active, and the public record so far is limited to preliminary findings. Early confusion over Gardner’s name was later clarified by state officials, who said he was Donald Gardner and also known as Donald Capriotti. Officials also said he was 52 and lived in Atlantic City.
Gardner had a long record in the criminal justice system. Court records cited in local reports showed he had spent much of the past three decades in and out of prison, including a conviction in a 1994 killing. He was released on parole in 2012 after serving 19 years. In 2013, he was shot by police during a separate encounter in Egg Harbor Township after authorities sought him on a warrant. His family said that shooting left him paralyzed and using a wheelchair. A state grand jury later cleared the officers in that earlier shooting. Records also showed Gardner had later cases involving weapons, assault, drug and resisting arrest charges, and that he pleaded guilty in May 2025 to unlawful possession of heroin before being released in December.
Gardner’s family has questioned the shooting and said it wants more answers. His mother, Tina Capriotti, told a local television station she did not believe her son was armed when he was killed. “I want to know why they killed my son, that’s what I want to know,” Capriotti said. Investigators, however, have said Gardner fired at officers and that a handgun was recovered at the home. The gap between the family’s account and the state’s preliminary findings is now part of the public tension around the case. Officials have not released body camera video, full surveillance video, autopsy findings or a final timeline of each shot fired.
The Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability is leading the review, as required under New Jersey law when a person dies during an encounter with law enforcement. Such investigations are presented to a grand jury, which decides whether evidence supports criminal charges against any officer. No charges had been announced as of June 17. The office has said the investigation remains ongoing and that more information will be released when available. Reynolds was identified as the officer who fired at Gardner, but officials have not said whether he or any other officer has been placed on administrative leave under department policy.
Police officials and the officers’ union described Ivanov’s recovery as difficult but improving. Albert Floriani, president of Atlantic City PBA Local 24, said Ivanov was making progress while remaining in intensive care. “Sgt. Ivanov continues to make progress and is doing much better, but he remains in the ICU,” Floriani said. Sarkos thanked doctors, nurses and trauma staff at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, saying their response under pressure helped save lives. Fellow officers visited the hospital after the shooting, and local businesses and police supporters organized aid for Ivanov’s family. A fundraising page described Ivanov as a husband, father of three, SWAT sergeant and small business owner.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small praised the police department after the shooting and said additional information would come from law enforcement and state investigators. Showboat Atlantic City owner Bart Blatstein also said the property planned to host a fundraiser for Ivanov, though a date was still being determined at the time of the announcement. Outside the hospital, the case brought together two scenes of grief: officers watching a wounded colleague begin a long recovery, and Gardner’s relatives seeking a fuller account of how a warrant service ended in death.
The case now rests with state investigators, who are reviewing the warrant service, the gunfire, the recovered handgun and the officers’ use of force. The next major milestone is the Attorney General’s release of additional findings or the presentation of evidence to a grand jury.
Author note: Last updated June 17, 2026.