Police Shooting Of Fort Lee Man Was 'Justified': Prosecutor

FORT LEE, NJ — A borough police officer's use of deadly force against a resident was justified, a investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office has found.

Jaquan A. Suber, 29, was shot Sept. 3 after police responded to 485 Summit Ave. about 6 a.m. due a dispute between him and his landlord, said then-Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal. The dispute was settled and the officers left.

"While the police would have been justified in firing their weapons much earlier during this incident, this officers showed restraint and used deadly force only after Suber threatened them with his gun multiple times and only after he fired on them," the prosecutor's office said Wednesday.

Different officers responded to the home shortly after 10:30 a.m. in connection with a missing person's report, Grewal said at the time of the incident. While there, the officers were directed to Suber's apartment to follow-up on the earlier dispute.

A confrontation ensued and Suber was shot and subsequently arrested by police officers, Grewal said. Suber reportedly had a firearm, a Retolaza 1914 automatic.32-caliber pistol in his possession and allegedly pointed it at police officers, Grewal previously said.

Suber was charged with possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, specifically to use it unlawfully against Fort Lee Police officers.

The prosecutor's office Major Crimes Unit investigated Suber's shooting. The Fort Lee and Leonia police officers involved in the shooting and civilians who witnessed the shooting were interviewed and ballistics evidence was collected from the scene.

Video from a witness' cell phone and a Fort Lee traffic camera was also reviewed.

Suber pointed a handgun at an officer and engaged in an armed stand-off with police, authorities said. He pointed his weapon at police and at nearby homes for several minutes.

According to authorities, a detective who confronted Suber told him to leave his gun inside, but he continued to raise it and point it at them. Suber reportedly told the detective it was their "fault," and asked "what are they going to do now?"

The detective recalled that Suber stated "praises to all Allah" and "paradise," authorities said.

Suber eventually shot at police officers who took cover behind parked cars in the driveway and three officers returned fire, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release Wednesday. Suber was shot three times, in the right side of his chest, his right upper arm and his right thigh.

After being hit the first time, Suber fell to the ground and then raised his gun and pointed toward police again, but dropped it after being shot a second time. Suber walked toward police, fought with three officers and was shot with a taser by a Leonia special police officer, authorities said.

A Bergen County Grand Jury indicted Suber on three counts of attempted murder, seven counts of pointing a firearm at law enforcement officers, two counts of pointing a firearm at lay persons, resisting arrest and other weapons-related charges.

Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo, the Attorney General's Office and Gerwal all reviewed the case and agreed that it did not need to be presented to the Grand Jury.

Related: Charges Filed Against Man With Gun After 2 N.J. Cops Hurt: Authorities
Related: Fort Lee Man Shot By Cops Remains In Critical Condition: Prosecutor

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Photo: Jaquan A. Suber, 29/Bergen County Prosecutor's Office