Body camera footage released in Absecon officer-involved shooting

Prosecutors in New Jersey shared body camera footage that shows a non-fatal officer-involved shooting in May that happened in the parking lot of a dollar store.

ABSECON, N.J. - Prosecutors in New Jersey shared body camera footage that shows a non-fatal officer-involved shooting in May that happened in the parking lot of a dollar store.

Officers from the Pleasantville Police Department were called to the Dollar General on South New Road around 9:30 a.m. on May 24th for reports of a person who fired a gun.

Authorities say 37-year-old Jalial Whitted was found inside the Dollar General with a handgun "protruding from his right pocket."

As more officers arrived at the store, investigators say Whitted walked towards police and refused to listen to their orders to drop to the ground.

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Police say Whitted told officers "shoot me," and police tried to deescalate the situation by backing away and letting Whitted exit the store onto the front sidewalk.

According to investigators, Whitted placed his hand on the gun in his right pocket and five officers opened fire, wounding him.

"The officers indicated that they fired to protect the lives of the nearby public, their own lives, and the lives of their fellow officers," a release from Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Whitted was charged in June with Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Weapon by Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose.

The D.A.'s office said an investigation into the officer-involved shooting remains active and ongoing.