Crime & Safety
911 Call And Video Released In Police Shooting Of Jersey City Man
The state says that according to a preliminary investigation, Joseph Robertson appeared to point a weapon at a woman before police shot him.
JERSEY CITY, NJ — The Attorney General’s Office on Monday released video footage and a 911
call related to the police shooting that killed Joseph Robertson, 59, of Jersey City on May 24.
They said that according to a preliminary investigation, Robertson placed a woman in a headlock and pointed a weapon at her before being shot to death by an officer.
'Domestic Dispute'
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The office said that according to the investigation, Jersey City police officers responded to a 911 call made shortly after 11:56 p.m. reporting a domestic dispute involving a man with a gun near the intersection of Communipaw Avenue and West Side Avenue.
When officers arrived, they encountered Robertson and a woman near the BP gas station.
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The Attorney General's Office said, "Mr. Robertson pulled the woman closer to him and placed the woman in a 'headlock.' Mr. Robertson pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the woman. At this time, Officer [Omar] Polanco fired his weapon, fatally wounding Mr. Robertson."
A firearm was recovered near Robertson, officials said.
Officers and emergency medical personnel rendered first aid to Robertson, who was
pronounced dead at 12:19 a.m.
"The fatal shooting remains under investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA)," the Attorney General's Office said in a release. "The recordings are being released pursuant to policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 that are designed to promote the fair, impartial, and transparent investigation of fatal police encounters. Investigators met today with Mr. Robertson’s family to review the recordings."
Recordings Posted Online
The recordings are posted online, with some parts redacted: Click here for recordings.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.
A copy of the directive for officials to release information in police shootings is here: https://www.nj.gov/oag/excellence/docs/2019-4_Independent_Prosecutor_Directive.pdf
Read prior reporting on the shooting on Jersey City Patch here.
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