Berkeley Police Justified In Non-Fatal Shooting Of Knife-Wielding Man: Prosecutor

BERKELEY, NJ — The non-fatal shooting of a knife-wielding man by Berkeley police has been deemed justified and will not be brought to a grand jury, according to an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer determined that there were no material facts in dispute and that the Aug. 1, 2021 shooting of Stephen M. Carroccia after he lunged at a police officer with a 16-inch stainless steel kitchen knife was justified. An independent investigation by the Attorney General's Office agreed with Billhimer's conclusion.

The investigation came after the August incident where three Berkeley police officers responded to a Stanford Drive residence shortly before 11 a.m. following a 911 call, officials said.

Before they arrived, dispatch had warned the officers that Carroccia had “pulled a knife out of a pile of laundry in the past,” officials said. All three were wearing standard police uniforms and were equipped with body cameras, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

The first two officers arrived and met with a female relative of Carroccia's on the front porch, who lived in the home with him and had made the 911 call, officials said.

She told police that Carroccia had been acting erratic and neighbors had seen him wandering between yards, according to officials.

Moments later, he came onto the porch from the house and was noticeably agitated, the Prosecutor's Office said. Carroccia immediately asked why police were there and demanded to know who called 911 before heading back inside, officials said.

The relative told police that Carroccia had physically assaulted her in the past and was worried about the situation escalating, according to officials.

All three officers tried to de-escalate the situation, officials said, but were unable to. Carroccia appeared visibly agitated after learning police were not leaving and flinched at the third officer as if he were going to attack before yelling in his face, the Prosecutor's Office said.

Two officers, referred to by the Prosecutor's Office as Officers 1 and 3, were talking to the relative as Carroccia stood partially inside with the storm door open, repeatedly asking when the officers were going to leave, according to officials.

Officer 1 was positioned on the small railed porch between the relative and the front door where Carroccia was standing, while Officer 3 was positioned on the pathway between the front entrance and the driveway towards the left side of the porch.

The two tried again to de-escalate the situation, but seconds later, Carroccia quickly flung the door open, stepped onto the porch and unprovoked lunged at Officer 1 with a 16-inch stainless steel kitchen knife in his hand, officials said.

He aimed the knife at the officer's head and neck, but the officer was able to push Carroccia back a few feet and ordered him to drop the knife, according to officials.

Carroccia again lunged at the officer with a downward stabbing motion and Officer 3, fearing for the life of Officer 1, drew his gun and fired three rounds, the Prosecutor's Office said. All three hit Carroccia's upper body, and Officer 1 simultaneously discharged his taser, officials said. Carroccia was again ordered to drop the knife once he was on the ground.

He was given first aid by police and then the First Aid Squad before being taken to the hospital, officials said. The officers were evaluated too but were not physically injured, and neither was the relative, who had remained in her seat during the altercation, officials said.

Carroccia told detectives several days later that he grabbed the knife because he was afraid of being arrested, and admitted to having the knife and lunging at Officer 1, according to officials.

Three neighbors who were familiar with Carroccia witnessed the scene and told detectives that police were in uniform. Two heard the order for Carroccia to drop the knife and one described how he lunged at the officer, according to the Prosecutor's Office. They explained that they had heard three shots and then saw the officers provide first aid immediately after.

The relative told police that she had called 911 because of Carroccia's behavior and further corroborated the events.

Carroccia was charged with and indicted for attempted murder, possession of a weapon (knife) for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon (knife) and certain persons not to have weapons, the Prosecutor's Office said.

He has been held in Ocean County Jail since his arrest and the case is pending disposition.