Newark Family Wants Answers After Man Dies While Running From Police

NEWARK, NJ — State authorities continue to investigate the death of a man who collapsed while running from Newark police earlier this year.

The family members of Raul DeJesus still have many questions about what happened to him on Jan. 5, as well as the involved police officers’ response, CBS New York recently reported.

“I love him so much,” the 43-year-old’s despondent mother said. “Everybody loved him.”

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office – which is conducting the investigation – previously released the following statement about the chase that led to DeJesus’ death:

“According to the preliminary investigation, shortly before 3:42 p.m., [a Newark police officer] approached Mr. DeJesus in the area of Orange Street and South 11th Street in Newark, in connection with a homicide that had occurred in Paterson on Dec. 10, 2022. Mr. DeJesus fled on foot through various yards and collapsed on an embankment along Route 280 westbound, in the area of mile marker 12.8, where he was located and taken into custody by [a Newark police officer].”

DeJesus was transported to University Hospital and pronounced deceased at 4:41 p.m., just about an hour after the encounter began.

In February, the attorney general’s office released video footage from police body worn cameras and surveillance cameras in the area, which can be seen here.

• See Related: Video Shows NJ Man's Fatal Attempt To Run From Newark Police

Authorities said police investigators discussed the matter with DeJesus’ relatives and provided them copies of the recordings before releasing them. However, a member of his family told Patch that they were negotiating a date to meet and review the videos, but authorities – "without any explanation" – released them an hour after sending an email to their attorney.

The video footage begins with DeJesus walking across the street in a residential neighborhood. A police officer gets out of a vehicle and speaks with him for a short time, until DeJesus suddenly turns around and sprints down the block – with the officer behind him in pursuit.

DeJesus runs through the backyard of a home, climbs atop a parked car and hops over a fence, landing hard on the ground. As the officer follows him over the fence, DeJesus continues running through a nearby yard.

Ensuing footage then shows police gathered around an embankment by the side of I-280, with DeJesus lying motionless alongside a concrete pillar.

"Don't you [expletive] reach for [expletive]!" one officer commands. "Show me your [expletive] hands!"

"Don't you move, or you're [expletive] dead!" another officer yells.

The officers lift a handcuffed DeJesus to his feet, although he struggles to remain standing.

"Roll him down the hill ... who cares?" one of them comments.

As sirens wail in the background, the officers lift DeJesus up and take him down from the embankment to the side of the highway.

"Bro, stop being a [expletive]," an officer tells DeJesus as he continues to have difficulty standing.

At least 10 minutes pass as a dazed-looking and wincing DeJesus awaits to be taken from the scene in an ambulance.

“I can’t breathe,” he huffs at one point, gasping for air as saliva drips from his mouth.

“Have a seat right here,” one officer replies, helping him sit on a guardrail as cars and trucks cruise along nearby. “Just breathe – we’ve got the ambulance coming for you.”

"You called EMS, right?" one officer asks his peers.

"Anyone got a Narcan?" another officer queries, referring to a medication that is commonly used to reverse opioid overdoses.

The president of the union representing the officers said that all proper protocols were followed once DeJesus was in police custody, and police immediately notified medical services when it became clear he was in distress, CBS New York reported.

The state’s investigation into DeJesus’ death continues, a spokesperson with the attorney general office told Patch on Thursday. When it is completed, the findings will be presented to a grand jury to decide whether criminal charges will be filed.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.