Cop Won't Be Charged For Killing Morris Township Man Who Had Airsoft Gun

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ — A state grand jury voted Monday not to file charges against a Morris Plains police officer for fatally shooting a Morris Township man. The 2020 incident put Morris Plains Police Sgt. Christopher Cornine under investigation for killing Timothy O’Shea, who pointed an airsoft gun at the officer, authorities said.

A 911 caller reported a domestic disturbance to police on July 14, 2020. The caller told authorities that O'Shea cut himself and had a gun, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

Officers from Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains got to O'Shea's home just before 4:30 p.m. on Fairfield Avenue. O'Shea, 24, held a firearm and bled from his neck and wrists, according to authorities.

Police pleaded with the Morris Township resident to drop his weapon, but he instead pointed it toward Cornine, according to the attorney general's office. Cornine fired four shots, hitting O'Shea twice, authorities said.

Officers rendered medical aid until the arrival of EMS, who transported O'Shea to Morristown Medical Center, according to the investigation. O'Shea was pronounced dead at 5:41 p.m. in the hospital.

Authorities recovered O'Shea's weapon and determined it was a replica Beretta 9mm airsoft pistol, the attorney general's office said.

Investigating Fatal Police Shootings

A 2019 New Jersey law requires the attorney general's office to conduct investigations into deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement or while in custody. The office must present each investigation to a grand jury, which determines if the evidence supports the return of an indictment.

The investigation into O'Shea's death included interviews of witnesses, collection of forensic evidence, review of video footage, and autopsy results from the medical examiner. After hearing testimony and evidence from the investigation, the grand jury voted "no bill," meaning they determined Cornine's actions shouldn't result in charges against him.

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