On the morning of August 28, 1985, a dedicated New Jersey State Police detective lost his life in the line of duty. Detective Albert J. Mallen, Sr., a 36-year-old white male, was part of a team executing a narcotics search warrant in Westville, New Jersey. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps who served in the Vietnam War, Mallen had been with the state police for over 14 years and was assigned to the Narcotics Bureau.
At approximately 7:05 a.m., as the law enforcement team entered a residence on Station Avenue, Detective Mallen was fatally wounded. While peering around a corner, he was shot in the face with a 12-gauge shotgun. The wound was instantly fatal.
Another officer on the scene immediately returned fire, injuring the shooter.
The suspect, a 58-year-old man, was taken into custody following the incident. The investigation into Detective Mallen's death led to the suspect being charged and ultimately convicted for the murder of the officer. A judge sentenced him to death for his crime. However, the sentence was never carried out, as the man died of natural causes in 1989 while awaiting his execution on death row.
