No Criminal Charges For Secaucus Police In 2019 Fatal Standoff

SECAUCUS, NJ — A state grand jury has voted not to file any criminal charges against members of the Secaucus Police Department regarding the death of Anthony Rosso on Dec. 1, 2019.

Rosso is the Secaucus man who was armed with a gun and died in the midst of a wild shoot-out with Secaucus Police in the Harmon Cove townhouses on that cold, misty December evening. Rosso, 68, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, said Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew Bruck.

As required by law, anytime someone in New Jersey dies during an encounter with police, a state investigation must be done and all details of the encounter must be presented to a grand jury to determine if any laws were broken.

Patch reported on the terrifying incident as it unfolded on the night of Dec. 1, 2019: Harmon Cove residents were ordered to stay inside their condos and stay away from windows as Secaucus Police exchanged multiple rounds of gunfire with Rosso. Harmon Cove residents reported lying on their carpets and floors as bullets flew back and forth, and seeing heavily armed SWAT teams run through the woods of the condo community.

Rosso was holed up on the front porch of his townhouse on Sea Isle Key, said Mayor Mike Gonnelli at the time. He fired five times at police, and Secaucus Police and other agencies fired back 16 times, said the Attorney General.

The Attorney General's investigation into the incident included interviews with witnesses; reviews of 911 calls; collection of forensic evidence; ballistics testing and autopsy results of Rosso's body.

The grand jury concluded its deliberations on Monday of this week and voted “no bill,” meaning a majority of grand jurors found the actions of the Secaucus Police officers who fired on Rosso were not the cause of his death. Rosso died from the gunshot wound to the head, said the Attorney General.

No charges should be filed against the Secaucus Police, said the grand jury.

Harmon Cove residents who knew Rosso described him a friendly local handyman who they often could call for quick home repairs and painting jobs.

From the Attorney General, here is an account of what happened that night:

Officers of the Secaucus Police Department responded to a condo on the 300 block of Sea Isle Key in the Harmon Cove development after a 911 call was received at approximately 5:41 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2019, reporting a domestic incident with a shot fired.

Upon arrival, they encountered Rosso, who was outside the condo and was armed with a handgun. During the incident, Rosso fired his gun and multiple police officers returned fire, grazing Rosso in the arm. Rosso was fatally wounded by a self-inflicted gun shot to the head. Emergency medical personnel responded and rendered aid and Rosso was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:14 p.m. The Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death to be suicide.

No one else was injured. Members of the Hudson County Regional SWAT Team also responded, arriving at the scene after the officer-involved gunfire. Ballistics in this case indicated that five rounds were fired by Rosso and 16 rounds were fired by the three officers.

Fellow Harmon Cove residents said they knew Rosso as a longtime Harmon Cove resident, who lived in the Sea Isle Key condo with his wife.

"I've lived here for 23 years and I've had Anthony in my home several times for remodeling work. He was always very chatty and personable," said one Harmon Cove resident. "He drove around Harmon Cove in a very identifiable white truck with an American flag on the side. He had a little black dog named Frankie, a black French terrier, that he just loved to pieces. He would put the dog in the truck with him and take him to all his jobs."

Initial Patch report of the death of Anthony Rosso: Domestic Incident Leads To Police-Involved Shooting In Secaucus (Dec. 1, 2019)

Secaucus Reels After Man Killed In Police Shooting (Dec. 2, 2019)

Man Killed By Police In Secaucus Identified: Harmon Cove residents who knew Anthony Rosso described a friendly local handyman who they often called for home repairs and painting. (Dec. 2, 2019)

Be the first to know. Sign up to get Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com