Newark Cop Shot 2 Men During Car Chase: ECPO

NEWARK, NJ — A Newark police officer accused of shooting two men in the head during a car chase earlier this year may spend the rest of his life in jail if convicted, Essex County prosecutors announced Tuesday.

An Essex County grand jury indicted Jovanny Crespo, 26, of Newark, who has been charged with aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault, two counts of possession of weapon for an unlawful purpose and two counts of official misconduct.

If convicted on all counts, Crespo faces life in prison, prosecutors said.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Jan. 28 shooting claimed the life of Gregory Griffin, 46, of Newark, who passed away the next day at University Hospital. A passenger in the car, Andrew J. Dixon, 35, also of Newark, was seriously injured.

“This is the first fatal police involved shooting to result in an indictment in Essex County in recent memory,” prosecutors stated.

Prosecutors said that the car chase began around 11:20 p.m. when a Newark police officer stopped Griffin near Clinton Avenue and Thomas Street. When Griffin drove away during the stop, the officer radioed that he was fleeing and that “she saw a gun.”

A police chase involving several cars ensued, prosecutors said.

Essex County prosecutors have since released harrowing dashcam and body camera footage of the shooting, which shows the chase, gunfire and arrest. During the pursuit, Crespo fired shots at the fleeing car at three separate locations (see above photo).

“I think I shot him,” Crespo tells another office at one point during the chase. “I seen the gun… he pointed the gun at me…. bro, he pointed the gun right at me.”

The vehicle finally stopped near Irvine Turner Boulevard and Kinney Street, where police found both men shot in the head, prosecutors said.

Police also found a loaded, semi-automatic handgun in the car, authorities said. Dixon was later charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a prohibited weapon.

Crespo is being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark. A detention hearing has not yet been scheduled, but it’s likely Crespo will make his first court appearance Wednesday or Thursday, prosecutors said.

An investigation is ongoing, prosecutors said Tuesday. Anyone with information can contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Professional Standards Bureau at 1-862-520-3700.

After the shooting, Crespo was suspended from duty. He had been a member of the Newark Police Division for 18 months, authorities said.

“We have concerns about this shooting and will cooperate fully with the Essex County Prosecutor's investigation,” Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said at the time.

• See related article: Newark Cop Suspended After Shooting 2 Men, 1 Fatally, Authorities Say

MAYOR: ‘A SAD DAY FOR THE CITY’

On Tuesday, Mayor Ras Baraka called the indictment a “sad day” for the city, the Newark Police Department and the families of Griffin and Dixon.

“We are under a consent decree and this shows that when police officers break the law, they will be held to the same standards as all others, particularly at a time when justice in incidents involving the police is not happening around the country,” Baraka said.

• See related article: Newark, Feds Reach Settlement After Landmark Civil Rights Probe

Baraka said the incident demonstrates the importance of equipping police officers with body cameras.

“The Essex County Prosecutor presented fair and unbiased evidence to a grand jury of Essex County residents, and they have returned a criminal indictment,” Baraka said. “I believe this is evidence of the transparency we have worked to establish in Newark and is critical to continuing to build trust between our police and the community.”

• See related article: Newark Police Seeing Less Citizen Complaints, 1 Year After Civil Rights Settlement

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