Bodycam video released by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General shows New Brunswick police fatally shooting a 68-year-old woman armed with a 12-inch knife.

Police responding to a call on Aug. 8 about a woman disturbing residents at an apartment building on Neilson Street said they first encountered Deborah Terrell at around 4 a.m.

Officers said they attempted to speak to Terrell, who refused to open her door.

Deborah Terrell

Cops then returned to the building shortly after 7:30 a.m. in response to a 911 call claiming Terrell was threatening other tenants with a knife.

Minutes after police arrived, they reported seeing her with a weapon. She was ordered to drop the knife, but instead closed and locked her apartment door.

Terrell allegedly told officers there was a man in her apartment and taunted cops by repeatedly showing them the knife under her door.

“A short time later, Ms. Terrell opened the door and stepped into the hallway saying, ‘C’mon’ while holding the knife,” prosecutors claim in a report published Wednesday.

Police said they first hit the suspect with a taser and pepper spray.

“In response, Ms. Terrell initially turned around and backed into her apartment, but then turned back toward officers and advanced in their direction with the knife in her hand,” prosecutors contend.

Video shows an officer responding by firing two shots and Terrell falling to the floor. Authorities said she was transported to New Brunswick hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Cops said they recovered a 12-inch knife at the scene. The incident remains under investigation.

https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/09/04/new-brunswick-nj-police-shooting-bodycam-video/