NJ Attorney General's Office Will Not Take Over Case Of Police-Involved Shooting In Bridgeton
By Cleve Bryan
BRIDGETON, NJ (CBS) -- Despite allegations the Cumberland County Prosecutor's office can't be objective investigating the police involved shooting of Jerame Reid, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office will not take over the case.
"We're demanding Prosecutor McRae recuse her entire staff from this investigation, give it to the Attorney General's Office," said Walter Hudson, chairman of the Salem County-based National Awareness Alliance.
Earlier this month Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McCrea excused herself from the investigation because she knows one of the officers involved.
Hudson and Steven Young from the Atlantic City Chapter of Reverand Al Sharpton's National Action Network led a small protest Wednesday outside the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office in Bridgeton.
Those who spoke have a renewed sense of outrage over Reid's death after police dash camera video of the incident became public.
"I think he need to be took off the force and justice really need to be served," says Tyesha Miller, whose brother was a friend of Reid.
The dash cam video shows officers Braheme Days and Roger Worley pull over a vehicle on Henry Street in Bridgeton on December 30.
Days approaches the passenger side of the vehicle where Reid is sitting and moments into the exchange yells to his partner there's a gun in the glove box.
Days then yells at Reid not to move his hands or get out of the car.
As Reid exits the vehicle with his right hand visibly up at shoulder height he is sprayed with bullets by Days and what looks like a single shot from Worley.
Lawanda Reid hired Philadelphia attorney Conrad Benedetto to conduct a separate investigation into her husband's death.
Benedetto tells Eyewitness News that Ms. Reid was allowed to view the dash cam video on Tuesday before it was released.
Benedetto said in a statement also released Wednesday:
"While our investigation is still ongoing, the City of Bridgeton's release of the police cruiser's video footage showing the shooting of Mr. Reid raises serious questions as to the legality and/or reasonableness of the Officers' actions that night. We have viewed the footage which speaks for itself. The footage shows the Officers shooting Mr. Reid after he exited the vehicle with his hands raised in front of him. We are in the process of obtaining copies of the footage so that it can be analyzed in greater detail."
Paul Loriquet, director of communications for the Attorney General's Office, says the office will not take over the case.
"The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office is handling the investigation and ultimately will present the case to a grand jury, unless the undisputed facts indicate that the use of force was justifiable under the law. The investigation's findings and conclusions will be reviewed by the Attorney General's Office," says Loriquet.