Officers Cleared in Police-Involved Shooting Involving Teen in Mercer County

Criminal charges will not be filed against a sheriff’s officer and a state trooper involved in a shooting in which a 14-year-old teenager was injured, the Attorney General’s Office announced on Monday.

The shooting took place in Trenton on Aug. 7. On Aug. 18, the teenager was charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, third-degree aggravated assault and fourth-degree possession of a defaced firearm.

On Monday, a state Grand Jury voted not to file charges against the officers.

The shooting was investigated by the Attorney General’s Shooting Response Team, made up of attorneys and detectives from the Division of Criminal Justice and detectives from the State Police Major Crime Unit.

After hearing testimony and evidence from the investigation, the state grand jury voted “no true bill,” meaning it declined to indict either of the two law enforcement officers involved.

Two state troopers and a county sheriff’s officer responded to the vicinity of 500 Prospect Village in Trenton for reports of multiple shots fired at about 10:15 p.m.

They saw three people heading to Calhoun Street from Louise Lane on foot.

They noted that the 14-year-old allegedly had his right hand down the front of his pants, where it appeared that an object was hidden, while his left hand was pulling his waistband away from his body. While inside the car, the police officers discussed the need to keep an eye on him.

Police then attempted to stop the three people, but the 14-year-old allegedly kept running.

One of the troopers and the sheriff’s officer chased after the boy while the other trooper stayed with the two who had stopped, police said.

The teenager was allegedly in possession of a .22 caliber handgun that he allegedly pointed at the officers.

The sheriff’s officer testified that he shouted “gun” before they fired at the boy, hitting him in both legs and the buttocks. This account was confirmed by witnesses.

A total of 15 shots were fired at the boy, and three of them hit him.

The boy was treated at the scene and taken to Helene Fuld Medical Center in Trenton. He was released on Aug. 14.

One of the other suspects, also a juvenile, was interviewed with parental consent as part of the investigation.

He said that all three people were together earlier in the night in the area of 500 Prospect Park Village, where the “ShotSpotter” was activated.

“ShotSpotter” is a technology that provides law enforcement with real-time gunfire notifications.

He said that they had a dispute with some other people who lived on the “other side of the gate.” He said the people on the other side of the gate fired three gunshots. After being shot at, he and his friends had run away.

As they were fleeing, they were approached by police. The 14-year-old ran away, and the other juvenile heard the police yelling “gun” before hearing shots fired. He said the 14-year-old threw a gun before being shot.

The gun was recovered at the scene, off to the right side of where the juvenile was running when he was shot by the two officers.

An emergency response truck that responded to the shooting to provide first-responder services drove over the gun on Calhoun Street and remained parked over the gun through the night while providing lighting for investigators.

A civilian discovered the gun the following morning, who saw it shortly after the emergency van moved.

A second witness testified that the 14-year-old had retrieved a “community gun,” available to anyone who wanted to use it, earlier that day. He described the gun that was recovered at the scene.

The witness said the 14-year-old told him he and two of his friends were going to Prospect Park Village to “shoot somebody.”

The 14-year-old told this witness that he fired two or three shots during a dispute in Prospect Park Village before his gun jammed.

Police said this was consistent with the condition of the recovered gun, a fact that had not previously been reported publicly.

He said that the three men ran away after that, were confronted by police, the 14-year-old ran, and had thrown the gun before he was shot by police.

The 14-year-old declined to provide a statement to investigators on the Shooting Response Team about the police-involved shooting.

The grand jury was instructed as to potential criminal charges against each of the two officers involved in the shooting, and the legal elements to prove each crime, as well as the law of justification, particularly the use of force in defense of self and others.

An officer may use deadly force in New Jersey when the officer reasonably believes it is immediately necessary to protect the officer or another person from imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm.

The grand jury voted not to indict either of the law enforcement officers based upon their consideration of the facts, evidence and testimony.

This matter was reviewed by Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice and all portions of the Attorney General’s Directive on Police-Use-of-Force Investigations were complied with.

Charges against the other juvenile in the case are still pending.

Juveniles, under the law, are not found guilty or not guilty, but are simply “adjudicated delinquent.”

The third person in the group was a 19-year-old adult man, according to police. No details were provided about his status on Monday.