Prosecutor: Man shot dead by Atlantic City police after he stabbed officer

A man was shot dead in Atlantic City on Friday night by a police officer he had allegedly stabbed during an investigation of an unrelated hit-and-run accident, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.

According to a statement issued Saturday by the Prosecutor's Office, police were investigating a crash on the 600 block of North Kentucky Avenue when Timothy Deal, 32, of Atlantic City, approached around 6:30 p.m. and, without provocation, stabbed an officer in the torso with a knife.

The officer, whose identity was not revealed, shot Deal, the Prosecutor's Office said. Both men were taken to the AtlantiCare Medical Center City Campus Trauma Center, where Deal was pronounced dead. The officer was treated and released. He is currently unable to work because of his injuries, said a spokesperson for the Prosecutor's Office.

An autopsy Saturday morning by the Southern Regional Medical Examiner's Office preliminarily determined that Deal died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Prosecutor's Office. An investigation continues, and evidence will be submitted to the New Jersey State Police Ballistics Laboratory.

Following New Jersey attorney general guidelines, its Division of Criminal Justice was notified and the Atlantic County Major Crimes Unit is conducting the investigation without the participation of the Atlantic City Police Department.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7800 or, after hours, at 609-909-7200.