New Brunswick, New Jersey — On August 8, 2025, at approximately 4 a.m., officers from the New Brunswick Police Department were dispatched to an apartment building on Neilson Street, in response to a 911 call reporting that a female resident, later identified as 68-year-old Deborah Terrell, was disturbing other residents. Officers unsuccessfully attempted to speak with Terrell, as she refused to speak with officers or open her apartment door. Later, at 7:32 a.m., officers were again dispatched to the same apartment, after a 911 call reporting that Terrell was repeatedly going in and out of her apartment and threatening other tenants with a knife. In response, dispatch sent officers to Terrell’s apartment and contacted emergency medical services, requesting that EMTs be positioned outside the apartment building for a potential evaluation. At approximately 7:38 a.m., officers arrived at the apartment building and made contact with civilians, who confirmed observing Terrell with a large knife. Officers proceeded up an elevator and went to Terrell’s apartment.
At approximately 7:41 a.m., officers approached Terrell’s apartment door and knocked. Terrell opened the door with a knife in her hand. After officers asked her to drop the knife, she shut the door, locked it from inside, and moved the knife back and forth underneath the bottom of the door. Officers asked her to reopen it and talk to them. During a brief exchange through the door, Terrell mentioned that a man was inside the apartment with her, and officers asked if he could come to the door and speak with them. Terrell refused and then stopped talking. Officers knocked on the door and made attempts to re-establish communication. Terrell could be heard shouting inside the apartment and again moved the knife back and forth underneath the door’s gap. Terrell then opened the door and pointed the knife at officers before shutting it again, and moving the knife back and forth underneath the door a third time.
Officers then assembled on one side of the apartment door and were assigned “lethal” and “less lethal” duties. A short time later, Terrell opened the door and stepped into the hallway saying, “C’mon” while holding the knife. At that moment, one officer deployed pepper spray and another officer deployed a taser. In response, 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. An officer then fired his service weapon twice, striking Terrell. Officers provided medical aid. Terrell was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where she was pronounced deceased. A 12-inch knife was recovered at the scene. The identities of the involved police officers were not released, due to threats being made against them.
