It was a routine stop, not hostile, and it all happened so quickly that the officer never even had time to unholster his weapon.
Law enforcement are mourning one of their own, and working into the night to track down the man responsible.
"I think obviously we have someone who has no soul," said Prosecutor Marlene Lynch-Ford.
Matlosz was engaged to be married, survived by his mother and brother, and a member of the Lakewood Township Police Department since 2006.
He was pronounced dead just before 5:00pm at Jersey Shore Medical Center with his fiancée by his side, having just transferred from the night shift last week.
"Chris was one of our most popular officers. He was very proactive. You might say he was the best of us," said Lakewood Police Chief Rob Lawson.
Authorities say Officer Matlosz was conducting a routine stop around 4:00pm on August Drive near Joe Parker Boulevard.
He was sitting in the driver seat of the cruiser speaking with a pedestrian in a non-confrontational matter, all the while in communication with the police department.
The exchange suddenly turned violent.
"The individual stepped back and suddenly pulled back and shot the officer three times," said Marlene Lynch-ford.
The young man took off on foot into a wooded area.
The suspect is described as a black man in his late teens or early twenties, around 5'7", with a stocky build, puffy cheeks and sunken eyes. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark jeans.
"Our goal is to ID the perpetrator of this particularly heinous execution style murder and bring that person to justice," said Marlene Lynch-Ford.
There is a massive reward of $40,000 for information leading to a conviction. Anyone with information call Lakewood Township Police at 732-363-0200.
