In a recent development, Attorney General Matthew Platkin released a series of videos from January, including a police officer’s body cam and surveillance footage. These videos are part of a state-mandated investigation into the police-involved shooting of Daniel Nevius Sr., 55, of Sicklerville.
The videos were shared with the Nevius family before their release as part of a transparency initiative in police shooting incidents. The surveillance footage was obtained from a motion-activated camera, resulting in non-continuous video files of the event.
The incident began with Nevius driving a Jeep into an SUV parked in front of a house on Fox Run Road in Deptford Township, Gloucester County. After ramming the SUV twice, he drove away briefly. A woman and another person emerged from the house with a dog, inspecting the damage and seemingly calling the police.
Nevius returned, fell out of the Jeep while dropping a rifle, and challenged those inside the house to come out. He slammed the rifle on the hood of the SUV and pointed it at the house. When a sedan arrived, he confronted the driver, pointing the rifle at the vehicle before chasing someone back into the house.
The video then skips to the moment police arrived on the scene. Deptford Township Police Officer Luke Ivey had just shot Nevius, who was later pronounced dead at the scene. Ivey’s body cam captured his conversation with a partner as they approached the scene, stating this was not his first time responding to a call involving an AK-47.
As Ivey and other officers approached the house, he reported seeing Nevius with a rifle. Taking cover behind a utility pole, Ivey fired a single shot when Nevius pointed the rifle at the officers. His colleagues confirmed witnessing the same action.
State law and Platkin’s guidelines mandate the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) investigate any death occurring during interactions with police. The investigation is carried out in an impartial and transparent manner, devoid of political or personal agendas.
Once the OPIA investigation is complete, the findings are presented to a grand jury, which reviews various forms of evidence to determine if the shooting was justified or if criminal action should be taken against the involved law enforcement officers.