The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has made public the body cam footage involving the death of 30-year-old Daniel King, who tragically became unresponsive while detained by the New Jersey State Police and subsequently died. The incident, which occurred at the State Police’s Bridgeton Station in Upper Deerfield on July 8, unfolded after King was apprehended and charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
The released footage presents a tense confrontation between King and a state trooper, identified as Mark Allonardo, wherein King is seen launching a punch at the officer before a baton is used to subdue him. Vocal threats and taunts from King, including an intention to sue and a dare to shoot, are audible in the distressing video.
The circumstances surrounding King’s detention began around 7 p.m., when Trooper Allonardo arrived at a Fairfield residence in response to King’s request for an escort to retrieve personal items. The situation escalated when King allegedly attempted to assault the officer. Subsequent to King striking Allonardo, a physical altercation took place, culminating in King’s arrest with the aid of two civilians and additional state troopers—Zachary Reichenbach, Nicolas Salamone, and Arturo Sanchez.
King became unresponsive around 8 p.m. while in custody and was pronounced dead at 11:37 p.m. the following day at the hospital, as per the incident report.
In adherence to state guidelines necessitating a review of all deaths occurring during law enforcement encounters or while an individual is in police custody, the Attorney General is actively investigating King’s death. As of now, the official cause and manner of King’s death remain undetermined, pending further examination by the New Jersey Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner, and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.