[chris]

Shortly after 2 a.m. on March 16, 2026, four Lacey Township police officers went to Susanne Clarke's home on Hemlock Drive, near Birch Road, in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey Township. Clarke, 55, had called 911 and reported a suspected heart attack.

Officers found Clarke inside the home, speaking from a window. They asked her to come to the front door so they could speak with her. Clarke told them to leave her alone and did not come to the door. EMS also arrived. Officers stayed on scene, saying they needed to check on her well-being, while they heard her shouting for them to leave and saw her moving inside and lying on the floor.

After about 30 minutes, Officer Dallas Gant looked through a rear glass sliding door and stated that he saw a dog with a knife wound. Officers tried to enter the home, including by kicking the front door, but were unsuccessful. Gant then started to enter through a side window and pulled back after seeing Clarke enter the room holding a knife.

Clarke then came out through the rear glass sliding door with a knife in her hand and advanced toward multiple officers. Gant and another officer ordered her to drop the knife. Gant fired multiple times, striking Clarke. Medical aid was given, and Clarke was pronounced deceased on scene at 3:24 a.m. A knife was recovered.

Listen to the 911 calls and dispatch audio for this incident here.