Lacey police shooting: Mom, 55, killed after 911 call

🚨 Ocean County woman shot and killed by police after calling 911

🔪 Authorities say a knife was recovered at the scene in Lacey Township

⚖️ State officials now reviewing the fatal police-involved shooting

LACEY — State authorities have identified a woman shot and killed in an Ocean County police-involved encounter this week.

Susanne Clarke, a township resident, was shot after calling 911 on Monday at 2 a.m.

Lacey Township police shooting under investigation

The 55-year-old Clarke reported a “medical event” from a residence on Hemlock Drive near the intersection of Birch Road, according to the state Office of the Attorney General.

Responding around 2:44 a.m., Lacey Township Police Officer Dallas Gant fired his service weapon and shot Clarke, who died at the scene.

Knife recovered as questions emerge

Law enforcement did recover a knife from outside the home, police said.

The deadly shooting was now being reviewed by state law enforcement, which is the procedure for all police-involved encounters.

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Family remembers victim as loving mother and entrepreneur

Clarke had raised her two children in Chesterfield and recently moved to Lanoka Harbor to be closer to the beach, according to an online obituary.

She was a licensed optician and was also launching her own small business as a dog lover.

“She was a loving mother, devoted daughter, cherished friend and vibrant presence in the lives of all who knew her. Sue had a passion for animals and had been excitedly working on starting her own dog treat business, sharing samples with her dogs, granddog, neighbors, and friends,” the obituary said.

Clarke’s surviving loved ones include her two adult children, her ex-husband, stepfather and two sisters.

Her family was encouraging donations in her memory to Friends of Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter, which had helped care for her two dogs in the immediate aftermath of Clarke’s death.