The Attorney General’s Office today released footage from police body-worn cameras relating to the non-fatal shooting of an adult male on August 12, 2024, during an encounter with Newark Police Officer Alexander Ferreira and his partner.
The law enforcement encounter is under investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). The recordings are being released pursuant to policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 designed to promote the fair, impartial, and transparent investigation of police use of deadly force. Investigators previously met with representatives of the individual’s family to review the recordings.
According to the investigation, at approximately 8:34 p.m. on August 12, 2024, the officers observed a Porsche Macan parked on Clinton Place near Hawthorne Avenue in Newark. Officer Ferreira and his partner determined that the vehicle was stolen and positioned their marked patrol vehicle in front of the Porsche to further investigate. They exited their patrol vehicle and immediately approached the only occupant of the Porsche, seated in the front passenger seat.
The officers ordered the passenger, an adult male, to exit the vehicle, which he did. Officer Ferreira then handcuffed and escorted the passenger to the area of his parked police vehicle. While the two officers were at the police vehicle with the passenger, an individual exited the adjacent convenience store, entered the Porsche through the passenger side front door, and moved into the driver’s seat. The officers left the handcuffed passenger next to the patrol vehicle and immediately returned to the Porsche. The officers attempted to remove the individual from the driver’s seat. During this encounter, the officers instructed the driver to stop; he did not comply. Officer Ferreira then quickly returned to the patrol vehicle, placed the passenger in its back seat, and ran back to the front driver’s side of the Porsche.
There, Officer Ferreira’s partner was engaged in a struggle with the driver, who placed the vehicle into gear and reversed. Officer Ferreira’s partner, who was still trying to gain control of the vehicle and the driver, moved backwards with the reversing vehicle. As Officer Ferreira yelled “back up” multiple times, his partner disengaged from the vehicle and the driver. Nearly simultaneously, the Porsche accelerated forward and Officer Ferriera discharged two rounds from his duty firearm, striking the driver. The vehicle struck the patrol car and stopped momentarily; it then accelerated forward at a high rate of speed. The Porsche crossed the intersection and entered the sidewalk area before it crashed into a brick building and careened into two parked, unoccupied civilian vehicles.
Officers provided medical aid to the driver, who was transported to University Hospital where he was treated for life-threatening injuries. He is expected to survive.
The recordings are available here: https://njoag.box.com/s/mnyjbr3j61f2zspmvxpr6hejxxvrltre
N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.
