A man serving a 43-year sentence at a New Jersey state prison died last week “following an encounter with correctional police officers,” state officials announced Monday.
The incident involving 46-year-old David Silva and officers at Northern State Prison in Newark occurred on Dec. 3, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a news release.
While details about the incident are currently limited — such as cause or manner of death or the identities of the officers allegedly involved in the encounter — Platkin said Silva was pronounced dead at a hospital on Dec. 12.
State law requires the AG’s office to investigate the death of a person “that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody.”
Findings of the investigation, which is being conducted by the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, will be presented to a state grand jury, who will then determine if evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.
“The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time,” officials said.
According to the state’s department of corrections, Silva was serving a 43-year sentence for murder, robbery, arson and related charges and had been incarcerated since January 2013.