Authorities on Wednesday revealed that Hartnett brandished a knife and starting advancing towards police when multiple officers discharged their service weapons, fatally striking him, said Al Della Fave, a spokesman with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.
LITTLE EGG HARBOR — In the 14 years Joyce Mattura has lived atop an apartment where a man was fatally shot by police on Tuesday, she has never seen or heard any altercations.
"He was nice, he was respectful," Mattura said of the man authorities say police shot and killed. "He had a close relationship with his father, they got along.
"No one had a dislike for him, he was a quiet man. If he had any personal issues, no one saw it, I didn't at least," she continued.
Authorities on Wednesday revealed that Francis D. Hartnett, 47, brandished a knife and started advancing towards police when multiple officers discharged their service weapons, fatally striking him, said Al Della Fave, a spokesman with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.
PREVIOUS: Authorities ID man shot, killed by police in Little Egg Harbor
Investigators remained on scene Wednesday afternoon, going in and out of the apartment where neighbors said Hartnett would frequently visit his father, John Hartnett. Police crime-scene tape blocked the front door and circles drawn by chalk dotted the walkway outside.
Investigators remained at the scene on Wednesday, Nov. 18, after police shot and killed a "possibly suicidal" man in an apartment in Little Egg Harbor on Nov. 17. (Photo by Alex Napoliello | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com).But life appeared to be back to normal at Royal Timbers, a quiet condominium complex surrounded by woods off Center Street.
Residents in the neighborhood walked their dogs and a child rode his bike just feet from where the incident occurred. Parents greeted their children as they departed the school bus.
It was a far cry from the hectic scene on Tuesday morning authorities and neighbors described.
At around 11:35 a.m., Little Egg Harbor police responded to a residence on Wild Oaks Drive after a concerned family member reported a man who had attempted to harm himself was "possibly suicidal," Della Fave said.
When police arrived, no one inside the residence replied. Officers then entered the home, announced their presence, and immediately encountered Hartnett, who had a knife, Della Fave said.
As he started to advance towards them, the officers told Hartnett to drop the knife, Della Fave said. Della Fave could not comment on the manner in which Hartnett advanced at the officers, citing the ongoing investigation.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A resident who also lived above John Hartnett said there was a "lot of screaming and a lot of shooting."
The resident, who did not want to be identified, said multiple officers were screaming at Hartnett to drop the knife.
"You can tell they didn't want to do it," the neighbor said. "After it happened, they (cops) weren't having a party or anything. A lot of them dropped to their knees."
An investigation found that Hartnett suffered from depression and attempted to commit suicide multiple times in the past, Della Fave said.
Residents in the area were shocked to learn that something like that happened in the neighborhood.
The same resident who lived above John Hartnett purposely moved to the area because it was quiet. The resident said that was the first time experiencing a shooting and hopes it's the last.
"One time is one time too many," the resident said.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.