Man Shot to Death by Perth Amboy Police Was Behaving Violently Prior to Incident, Prosecutor Says

The mother of a man fatally shot in an altercation with Perth Amboy Police earlier this week initially contacted police because her son was behaving violently, Acting Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey announced on Friday.

The mother of 32-year-old Dixon Rodriguez added she wasn’t giving him his medication because it was harmful to him, according to Carey.

Some neighbors previously told nj.com they believed Rodriguez was autistic, while others said he was schizophrenic and was taking anti-psychotic medication.

Two officers were dispatched to the home on Hall Avenue at 1:18 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. While there, they spoke with Rodriguez outside his home, Carey said.

While talking to police, Rodriguez suddenly raised his right arm, wielding a knife in his right hand, according to Carey. He then allegedly struck one of the officers, a female, in the head and tackled her to the ground. Both officers then fired at Rodriguez, who was pronounced dead on the scene at 1:50 p.m. Investigators then retrieved the knife from Rodriguez. Carey described the knife as a chef’s knife with a five-inch blade.

According to nj.com, residents questioned whether Rodriguez had a knife in his hand during the incident, but video footage shot in the area of the incident seems to confirm the officers' story.

Although the investigation is ongoing, the Prosecutor’s Office released the information in hopes that anyone with any additional information could contact Investigator Adrian Villegas at 732-745-4428.