When I drove past the Hamburg Police station yesterday the purple and black flags were already up. Everything I've read about Jason Franco says he was an exemplary police officer and volunteer firefighter. He served as a police officer in Hamburg since April 2018 and has been a volunteer firefighter where he lived in Montague for 15 years. On Tuesday Franco was hunting deer in Wantage with a group of people when he was shot and killed. The Sussex County Prosecutors Office said a juvenile member of Franco's family fired the shot. He died at the scene. The New Jersey Conservation Police determined the shooting was a tragic accident and have not identified the family member. No charges have been filed. Hamburg Mayor Paul Marino told the New Jersey Herald the borough was "in shock." He said Franco was "a stand out officer who was well liked." Franco was 38 years old. He lived in Montague with his wife and two sons.
Source: New Jersey Herald