BARNEGAT – Two Barnegat residents were among four people killed at a Piscataway home on January 5, according to a statement released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
Authorities confirmed that Richard A. Barnes, 86, and Brenda F. Barnes, 84, were found deceased inside the home. The couple lived in one of the senior developments in Barnegat. A third victim, their daughter, Jeanmarie Barnes, 60, was also found dead at the scene.
The release identifies a civilian killed by police as Jordan Barnes, 29, of Piscataway, who was shot by a Piscataway police officer during a response to a domestic emergency.
Neighbors of the Barnegat couple were shocked to learn of the news. They described the husband and wife as friendly and attentive to their retirement home. “They were from England originally,” recalled one woman, who asked not to be named. “Brenda loved to garden. She was out there early mornings taking care of her flowers when they were in season.”
According to the Attorney General’s Office, officers from the Piscataway Police Department were dispatched to the residence at approximately 5:30 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from a relative reporting that Jordan Barnes was threatening to harm family members inside the home.
Investigators said one officer attempted to communicate with Barnes through the closed front door while Officer John Ward looked through a thin, vertical window beside the door and observed two individuals lying unresponsive on the floor inside. Officers then entered the residence and encountered Barnes holding a kitchen knife.
Police reported that Barnes was repeatedly ordered to drop the knife and get on the ground. When he failed to comply, three officers deployed their tasers. Authorities said Barnes continued to advance toward officers, at which point Officer Ward fired his service weapon, striking him.
Officers rendered immediate medical aid until emergency medical services arrived. Barnes was later pronounced dead. Two knives were recovered near his body, according to investigators.
After securing the scene, police discovered the bodies of the three victims inside the home, each with multiple suspected stab wounds. The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating their deaths.
Under a 2019 state law, N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), the Attorney General’s Office is required to investigate any death that occurs during an encounter with law enforcement acting in an official capacity. The law mandates that the findings be presented to a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges against an officer are warranted.
The investigation remains ongoing. Officials said no further information is being released at this time.
