Ex-Newark Cop Convicted After Police Chase, Fatal Shooting

NEWARK, NJ — An Essex County jury convicted a former Newark police officer of manslaughter and aggravated assault after he shot two men – one fatally – during a car chase in 2019.

On Wednesday, jury members returned a guilty verdict against Jovanny Crespo, 30, of Newark, on charges of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree aggravated assault and second-degree official misconduct.

Crespo, who was previously suspended without pay from his job and has now been terminated, was remanded to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark. He faces up to 30 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for Sept. 15, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors released the following statement about the shooting and car chase:

“On January 28, 2019, Crespo fired his gun at a fleeing vehicle at three locations during the chase, after the driver, Gregory Griffin, sped away from a traffic stop. During a miles-long chase through the Newark streets, Crespo shot repeatedly at Griffin’s vehicle, eventually killing Griffin and critically injuring his passenger, Andrew Dixon. The pursuit began at 11:15 p.m. on a Monday night after a Newark police officer spotted a handgun in Griffin’s car. The chase was captured on Crespo’s body worn camera. In the first shooting, Crespo exited his police car and sprinted toward the car and fired three rounds as the car drove away.”

Essex County prosecutors have since released harrowing dashcam and body camera footage of the shooting, which shows the chase, gunfire and arrest (see photo above).

“It is a difficult day when anyone in law enforcement is convicted of a crime, but no one is above the law,” said Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Albu, who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Jessica Apostolou with assistance from Assistant Prosecutor George Gay.

• See Related: Opening Statements Made In Jovanny Crespo's Trial
• See Related: Suspended Newark Police Officer Takes Stand In Trial For 2019 Fatal Shooting

Crespo had been a member of the Newark Police Division for 18 months when the chase took place.

A nonprofit legal group that came to his aid in 2019 said that Crespo had not been the subject of disciplinary action, nor had he been involved in any previous officer-involved shooting cases. Read More: Nonprofit Defends Newark Cop Accused Of Fatal Shooting

Crespo’s attorney said there are plans to appeal the verdict, NJ.com reported.

CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD

Rick Robinson, chair of the Newark Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), told Patch that the Crespo case shows the need for more robust review powers of the city's police department.

The CCRB – which is charged with investigating potential police abuse in the city – was created in 2016 as part of a landmark consent decree between the U.S Justice Department and Newark. After the CCRB launched, some civil rights advocates hailed it as one of the “most robust civilian oversight bodies in the country.” But Newark’s police unions immediately challenged the CCRB’s authority, igniting a long-running legal battle.

In 2020, the New Jersey Supreme Court upheld some of the board’s powers – but put the kibosh on others. Read More: NJ Supreme Court Limits Newark's Power To Probe Police Abuse

Robinson said the Supreme Court “failed” New Jersey with their ruling, and said the objective of the board is to “save lives.”

“I have been quoted numerous times, stating that I truly believe if the Newark CCRB had a more robust presence, we would not be witnessing tragedies such as this one,” Robinson said after Wednesday’s verdict was announced.

“This is exactly why the Newark CCRB desperately needs subpoena power and parallel investigating authority,” he added.

• See Related: Newark's Fight Against Police Abuse Could Empower Other NJ Cities

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