HAMILTON –The Attorney General’s Shooting Response Task Force – which also investigates other deaths that occur during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity or that occur in custody – is investigating the death of an inmate who died early Monday morning after being taken to the hospital from the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

Mario Terruso, 41, of Mays Landing, died early Monday morning, Sept. 16, at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Mainland Campus.

Terruso was arrested on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 15, on a warrant and lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.  In jail, he was agitated and ill and was the subject of various actions by jail staff responding to the situation.  The Attorney General’s Task Force is conducting a thorough and independent investigation of what happened to Terruso, including all actions taken by correction officers and other staff at the jail leading up to and including his transportation to the hospital for treatment.  Terruso arrived at the hospital at about 7:50 p.m. on Sunday and was pronounced dead at approximately 1 a.m. Monday morning.  All camera footage of the events inside the jail have been obtained by the Attorney General’s Task Force and will be reviewed as part of the investigation.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.

This investigation is being conducted pursuant to a law enacted in January 2019, Senate Bill 1036,  which requires that the Attorney General’s Office conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody.

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