NJ Officer Who Shot Man's Butt During Police Chase Won't Be Charged: Prosecutor

DEPTFORD, NJ — A Gloucester County grand jury voted against criminally charging a Deptford Township police sergeant who shot and wounded a man on Thanksgiving Day in 2024.

The grand jury reviewed a police shooting that arose when officers chased a suspect who jumped out of a hotel room, authorities said.

Sgt. David Grogan fired his weapon after the suspect told officers he had a gun, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, which investigated the shooting.

The grand jury concluded Feb. 18 that Grogan's non-fatal use of deadly force was justified, meaning no criminal charges were issued.

Related articles:

• Man Jumps From Hotel Window, Gets Shot While Fleeing South Jersey Cops: Prosecutor
• Man Shot By Police In Deptford Told Officers He Had A Gun: Prosecutor

During the afternoon of Thanksgiving 2024, Deptford Township police were called to the Fairfield Inn for a report of several people in a hotel room who didn't pay and refused to leave, prosecutors said.

Officers arrived and knocked on the door to try to speak to the occupants. One of them — Jeffrey Jaworski, of Sewell — jumped out the second-floor window and ran into the woods behind the hotel, prosecutors said.

As police ran after him, Jaworski yelled that he had a gun, prosecutors said. At this time, Grogan shot Jaworski in the buttocks.

Jaworski then ran onto nearly Route 42, where he was arrested and brought to the hospital. He was treated and released several days later.

Investigation into the police shooting included witness interviews, body-worn camera footage, 911 audio recordings, photos, a ballistics examination, and evidence collected from the scene, prosecutors said.

The prosecutor's office's investigation was supervised by the NJ Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, which investigates deadly incidents involving police.