News & Insights
Police Accountability Tracker
Investigations of deaths and shootings involving New Jersey police, grand jury decisions, and officers charged with misconduct - in one place, with links to the official records.
How It Works
How New Jersey Investigates Police Encounters
Under New Jersey law, the Attorney General’s Office must investigate every death that occurs during an encounter with law enforcement. The Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) runs the investigation, and the evidence is presented to a state grand jury under the Independent Prosecutor Directive of 2019 (Directive 2019-4).
A grand jury “no bill” means the jurors decided that no criminal charges should be filed against the officers. It does not decide whether the family has a civil rights or wrongful death claim. Those are separate cases with their own deadlines, and the deadlines keep running while an investigation is open.
New Jersey police agencies also report every use of force to the Attorney General through an online Use of Force Reporting Portal. The Attorney General published an updated guide to the portal in January 2022.
If someone you love died or was hurt in a police encounter: keep every document you receive, write down what you know, and speak to a civil rights lawyer about deadlines. See what to do after police misconduct and wrongful death claims.
Incidents
Investigations, Charges and Grand Jury Decisions
Newest first. Each status is as of the official record linked; later developments may not be shown yet.
| Date | Where | What happened | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 16, 2024 | BayonneBayonne Police Department | A man died after officers responding to a 911 call about screaming in an apartment on Broadway restrained him for medical transport. | Under investigationSept. 2024 | Official record |
| June 13, 2024 | WoodbridgeWoodbridge Police Department; NYPD | Karl Gregory, 46, of New York was killed in an exchange of gunfire with officers in a hotel lobby during an investigation of a New York shooting. | Under investigationJune 2024 | Official record |
| Feb. 5, 2024 | HackettstownNew Jersey State Police | Raul L. Diaz, 59, a cyclist, died after a crash involving an unmarked State Police vehicle. | Grand jury: no chargesFeb. 24, 2025 | Official record |
| Dec. 28, 2023 | Woodbridge (Garden State Parkway)Cranford Police Department | Kevin Harlfinger, 40, was killed in an exchange of gunfire with two officers after a chase of a stolen car ended in a crash near Exit 131. | Under investigationJan. 2024 | Official record |
| Sept. 20, 2023 | PatersonTotowa Police Department | David Lucero, 28, of Paterson, died after the motorized scooter he was driving, followed by Totowa police vehicles, collided with a car. | Grand jury: no chargesNov. 3, 2025 | Official record |
| July 9, 2023 | Fairfield Township / Bridgeton StationNew Jersey State Police | Daniel King, 30, of Millville died following an encounter with State Police troopers. | Grand jury: no chargesSept. 23, 2024 | Official record |
| Oct. 29, 2021 | Edna Mahan Correctional Facility (Hunterdon County)N.J. Department of Corrections | A senior correctional police officer was arrested on charges that he sexually assaulted an inmate. | Officer chargedOct. 2021 | Official record |
| July 23, 2020 | Clark TownshipClark Township Police Department | The Union County Prosecutor’s Office took over the department’s law enforcement and internal affairs functions and opened an inquiry into credible allegations of misconduct by its leadership. | Department taken overJuly 2020 | Official record |
| July 14, 2020 | Morris TownshipMorris Township, Morris Plains and Morristown police | Timothy O’Shea, 24, was fatally shot by an officer responding to a 911 call. The pistol in his hand was a replica airsoft gun. | Investigation openedJuly 2020 | Official record Update |
| July 10, 2020 | Essex CountyEssex County Prosecutor’s Office | A detective was charged with lying to internal affairs investigators about installing a GPS tracker on a suspect’s car without the required warrant. | Officer chargedJuly 2020 | Official record |
| July 8, 2020 | PatersonU.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force | Malik Canty, 36, of New York was fatally shot during an arrest attempt in an apartment on Hamilton Avenue. | Investigation openedJuly 2020 | Official record |
| June 27, 2020 | TotowaNew Jersey State Police | A 51-year-old man died after a medical emergency that followed his arrest at a motor vehicle stop outside the State Police Totowa Substation. | Investigation openedJune 2020 | Official record |
| May 23, 2020 | PatersonNot named in the release | A man was fatally shot by police on 16th Avenue shortly after 1 a.m. | Investigation openedMay 2020 | Official record |
| April 26, 2020 | WayneMountain Lakes, Fairfield and Wayne police | Bradley G. Pullman, 48, was fatally shot by officers at the end of a pursuit through several towns. | Investigation openedApril 2020 | Official record |
| April 14, 2019 | Fair LawnBergen County Sheriff’s Office | A 12-year-old boy was struck and killed by a police vehicle on Route 208. | Grand jury: no chargesReported Nov. 2021 | Official record |