State won't take over probe of fatal Bridgeton police shooting

The investigation of a fatal police shooting in Bridgeton, N.J., in which, civil rights activists say, a man with no weapon in his hands died in a "hail of bullets" will remain with the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office despite concerns of an alleged conflict of interest involving it.

That decision, announced Wednesday, came shortly after authorities released a Dec. 30 dashboard-camera video showing Jerame Reid, 36, of Bridgeton, being shot repeatedly by Officer Braheme Days during a traffic stop. Another officer fired as well.

Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, who knows Days, recused herself from the investigation. Officials did not elaborate.

Walter Hudson, chairman of the Salem County-based civil rights group National Awareness Alliance, said during a news conference that the entire office should recuse itself and the New Jersey Attorney General's Office should take over.

"We want the most fair and impartial presentation to the grand jury," Hudson said, adding that the involvement of the prosecutor to date "tainted" any investigation her office conducts. "The video speaks for itself."

A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said it would review Cumberland County's findings, standard procedure after police-involved shootings.

"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," spokesman Paul Loriquet said in a statement.

Harold Shapiro, Cumberland's first assistant prosecutor handling the probe, said that if a grand jury investigation was not required, the Division of Criminal Justice, part of the state Attorney General's Office, still would review the decision.

"It will go to a grand jury. Make no mistake about it," Hudson said.

Since Reid's death, protesters have demonstrated in Bridgeton several times. About a dozen stood in the cold at Wednesday's news conference, vowing to return.

Conrad J. Benedetto, attorney for Reid's wife, Lawanda, released a statement on behalf of the family saying the video "raises serious questions as to the legality and/or reasonableness of the officers' actions that night."

"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."

Benedetto said the investigation should be handled by another agency.

"He never should have been shot," said one of Reid's friends, Natasha Santiago, 23, of Vineland, N.J. "We just need people to see what we see" in the video.

Webb-McRae did not respond to a call about her connection to Days.

The shooting came amid tensions nationally between police and minority communities after grand juries investigating the police killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y., failed to indict officers in either case. The Bridgeton shooting happened just days after two officers were gunned down in New York City in apparent revenge killings by a gunman.

The dash-cam video, released in response to a South Jersey Times open-records request, shows the traffic stop on Henry Street between South Avenue and Pine Street.

Days approaches on the passenger side of the car, where Reid was seated. Officer Roger Worley approaches on the driver's side. Initially, the stop is cordial.

"How y'all doing?" Days asks, identifying himself. "The reason I'm pulling you over, you went right through that stop sign back there."

Days asks the driver for his license. The tone quickly changes as Days tells Worley that he sees a gun in the glove compartment, and both officers draw their weapons.

"Show me your hands, show me your [expletive] hands," Days yells. "Show me your hands, don't [expletive] move."

Several times, he repeats the orders for Reid to show his hands and not move.

The officer is later heard saying, "I'm going to shoot," and, "You reach for something, you're going to be [expletive] dead."

Days yells, "He's reaching, he's reaching," and again demands that Reid show his hands.

It is unclear why Reid got out of the car.

In the video, Reid has his hands in front of him as he exits the car and Days backs up. Days starts firing. Worley shoots once, and runs out of the video frame. Reid does not have a gun in his hands.

"He got out of the car and he received a hail of bullets," Hudson said. Reid's "hands were up and he clearly was unarmed."

Reid and Days are black. Worley is white. In the video, Days at one point addresses Reid by his first name.

Residents alleged Wednesday that Days has been known to harass residents during patrols.

Bridgeton police said they did not want to release the video.

"The Bridgeton Police Department as a law enforcement agency does not, as a routine, consider the posting of any such video as compassionate or professional," the department said in a statement. "In absence of the OPRA [Open Public Records Act] request, this video would not be released to the public out of respect for the family of Jerame Reid, basic human dignity, and to protect the constitutional rights of all those involved."

Because of the potential grand jury probe, county prosecutors said they will not release additional information or comment further while the investigation continues.

Reid had a criminal history, including a nearly 15-year prison sentence for attempted murder, according to court records. He was released in February 2008.