[chris]

On August 14, 2023, at 3:59 a.m., a 911 caller reported an armed break-in at a residence in Long Branch, New Jersey. Long Branch police officers were sent to the home.

While responding in marked police vehicles, Officer Lucas Brito was involved in a collision with a civilian vehicle near MacArthur and Elmwood Avenues. The driver, Altonia Williams, 46, of Long Branch, was later identified as a suspect leaving the area of the break-in.

Tracee Blount, 38, of Long Branch, was the front seat passenger in Williams' vehicle. She was seriously injured and taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, where she was pronounced dead at about 7:12 a.m.

Williams was taken into custody and transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center for treatment. Officer Brito was also treated there for non-life-threatening injuries and later released.

A state grand jury concluded its deliberations on February 5, 2024, and voted not to file criminal charges against Officer Brito.

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