Current:Home > BackNew Jersey judge rejects indictment against officer charged with shooting man amid new evidence-LoTradeCoin
New Jersey judge rejects indictment against officer charged with shooting man amid new evidence
View Date:2024-12-24 00:14:51
PATERSON, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey judge dismissed an indictment against a police officer facing charges over shooting and paralyzing a Paterson man after prosecutors said they turned up new evidence in the case.
Superior Court Judge Marilyn Clark dismissed the indictment Monday in light of prosecutors saying they turned up photos showing the man with a gun not long before he was shot.
Paterson police officer Jerry Moravek faced assault and misconduct charges stemming from the 2022 shooting of Khalif Cooper that left him paralyzed.
In a statement, Attorney General Matt Platkin’s office said it filed to dismiss the indictment so that a grand jury could consider available evidence, including the new photos.
“It is the State’s intention to complete a reinvestigation based on the new evidence and re-present our case to a grand jury. Our aim is not to win, but to do justice,” Platkin’s office said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.
Moravek’s attorney Charles Sciarra said the entire basis of the case hinged on the “false premise” that there was no gun.
“We believe the State should now abandon this matter entirely and support Moravek and all Police Officers who run to the gun shots, not away from them,” Sciarra said in an emailed statement.
The charges stemmed from a June 2022 incident in which Moravek saw the victim, who was not identified initially by authorities but has since spoken to reporters, run past him soon after hearing gunshots. Moravek shouted for the person to drop the gun before firing, striking Cooper in the back.
Platkin had said Cooper didn’t have a gun in his possession or within reach. A firearm was found near the site of the shooting, according to the charging document, but Platkin said there was no DNA or fingerprint evidence linking it to the man.
Cooper’s attorneys, Dennis Hickerson-Breedon and Tayo Bland, said Tuesday in a phone interview that the decision was “disheartening” and Cooper was “demoralized.” They acknowledged the attorney general’s office saying the case would be brought to a grand jury again, but added that the development was difficult for Cooper personally.
“Khalif is a victim, and he deserves every remedy available to him, which includes the state to seek justice on his behalf,” Hickerson-Breedon said.
veryGood! (14)
Related
- How to Build Your Target Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Budget-Friendly Must-Haves for Effortless Style
- Americans are saving less and spending more. Could that raise the risk of recession?
- Cam Newton apologizes for fight at Georgia youth football camp: 'There's no excuse'
- Is whole wheat bread actually healthier? Here’s what experts say.
- Ranked voting will decide a pivotal congressional race. How does that work?
- Queen Camilla Taking a Break From Royal Duties After Filling in for King Charles III
- Singapore to Build World’s Largest Facility that Sucks Carbon From the Sea
- Mary-Kate, Ashley and Elizabeth Olsen Prove They Have Passports to Paris With Rare Outing
- Lions QB Jared Goff, despite 5 interceptions, dared to become cold-blooded
- Kate Spade Outlet Slides into Spring with Chic Floral Crossbodies Starting at $49, Plus an Extra 25% off
Ranking
- Zendaya Shares When She Feels Extra Safe With Boyfriend Tom Holland
- Australian spy chief under pressure to name traitor politician accused of working with spies of foreign regime
- Gov. Abbott says Texas wildfires may have destroyed up to 500 structures
- A Texas man drives into a store and is charged over locked beer coolers, reports say
- Dave Coulier Says He's OK If This Is the End Amid Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Battle
- Removed during protests, Louisville's statue of King Louis XVI is still in limbo
- In a rural California region, a plan takes shape to provide shade from dangerous heat
- 10,000 cattle expected to be slaughtered by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, reports say
Recommendation
-
Bev Priestman fired as Canada women’s soccer coach after review of Olympic drone scandal
-
Joey Votto says he's had 10 times more analyst job offers than playing offers
-
Is whole wheat bread actually healthier? Here’s what experts say.
-
Film director who was shot by Alec Baldwin says it felt like being hit by a baseball bat
-
Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco arrested again in Dominican Republic, according to reports
-
Kate Spade Outlet Slides into Spring with Chic Floral Crossbodies Starting at $49, Plus an Extra 25% off
-
ACL injury doesn't have to end your child's sports dream. Here's 5 tips for full recovery
-
Where to watch Oscar-nominated movies from 'The Holdovers' to 'Napoleon'