Crime & Safety

Atlantic City Police Officer Cleared in Fatal Shooting of 18-Year-Old

Derreck Mack was shot and killed following a foot chase in December.

A grand jury has cleared an Atlantic City Police Officer of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old last December, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor James P. McClain announced on Thursday, April 11.

A uniformed Atlantic City police officer shot and killed Derreck Mack following a foot chase on Dec. 17, 2012. Police had been pursuing Mack and 24-year-old Terry Davis in connection with an investigation into the Dirty Block gang, McClain said.

Dirty Block is a group involved in drug trafficking. The group specialized in heroin, but also dabbled in other illegal drugs. A recent federal investigation resulted in the apprehension of 25 people, including  of Galloway Township.

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As part of this investigation, Atlantic City Police were aiding F.B.I. agents in the observation of Mack and Davis near the Stanley Homes Public Housing project, McClain said. In this particular incident, police witnessed Mack and Davis returning to the same residence several times.

Mack was involved directly in a drug transaction, according to McClain, who added that Mack repeatedly adjusted a "heavy object" in his waistband police determined to be a gun.

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Police requested detectives approach Mack and Davis and order them to stop. The two suspects fled in different directions.

One officer pursued Davis, who threw his gun to the ground before being captured, McClain said. He is currently being held on weapons charges, as well as charges related to the Dirty Block gang, McClain said.

Police also recovered the gun, according to McClain.

Two uniformed police officers and a detective in plain clothes pursued Mack, who ignored repeated commands to stop, McClain said. Mack fled across Baltic Avenue toward Rosemont Place, where he appeared to trip over a curb. As he was recovering, police observed a silver colored handgun in his hand, McClain said.

Mack continued to flee until he reached the area where Rosemont intersects with City Place. He turned left on Martin Luther King Boulevard, where he began to slow down, but didn't stop, McClain said.

A third uniformed officer emerged from the courtyard of the buildings located at Baltic and Martin Luther King and told Mack to stop. Mack refused, McClain said.

Mack then began to slow down and turned toward the third officer. He raised his left hand, but his right hand remained at waist level, where McClain said his gun was located.

The officer fired three shots at Mack. One shot missed, hitting a nearby car, while the other two struck Mack, on his upper torso and through his chest into his right clavicle. Mack was later pronounced dead at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Division.

A fully loaded an operable .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol was recovered approximately five feet from where Mack fell after he was shot, McClain said.

There were two witnesses, according to McClain. One witness stood approximately 56 feet from the scene of the shooting, and corroborated the officer's account of the incident, McClain said.

The other stood 330 feet away. The account of that witness initially contradicted the officer's version of the incident, but the grand jury determined that that person's account is consistent with the officer's story. The view of the second witness was partially obstructed, McClain said.

"The grand jury determined that not only was the officer's actions use of deadly force was not only justified by law, but that the officer had no other course of action," McClain said.

McClain was unsure if the officer had returned to work at this point in time.

"The community has the right to have its representatives consider any action in which deadly force is used by a police officer, and in this case, that representative was a grand jury," McClain said. "We felt it was in everyone's best interest to have a Grand Jury consider this case."

Mack's next of kin have been notified of the investigation findings and the grand jury's determination, McClain said.


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