A Newark, NJ, police officer has been indicted four months after fatally shooting the driver of a fleeing vehicle during a pursuit caught on the officer’s body cam.
The grand jury indicted Jovanny Crespo, 26, on charges of aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault, and two counts each of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and official misconduct in the Jan. 28 incident, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Crespo was taken into custody and was being held at the Essex County jail, the office said.
The indictment comes nearly three months after the prosecutor and Newark public safety director both said they had serious concerns about the officer’s conduct during the shooting and that he had been suspended without pay, reports NJ.com.
Body camera video of the incident, released Tuesday night, shows Crespo jumping out of his moving cruiser three times to fire at close range on the fleeing vehicle, ultimately killing Gregory C. Griffin, 46, of Newark.
Griffin, who had a history of drug offenses, fled a traffic stop after another officer allegedly spotted a handgun in his vehicle, according to police.
