A grand jury voted on Monday not to file criminal charges against the police officers who shot a man to death as he was trying to flee the scene of a double homicide, the New Jersey Attorney General’s office said.
When Newark Police officers arrived at a home on Johnson Avenue on May 3 to investigate a reported shooting, they saw 29-year-old Everett Rand leaving the residence and throwing an object into dumpster. Officers then chased after him and eventually shot Rand after they saw him pull out a handgun, officials said.
A 27-year-old man and 8-year-old boy died as a result of the shooting inside the home, authorities said.
During the foot pursuit, officer Steven Ferreira saw Rand remove what appeared to be a handgun from his waistband. The officer then got on the ground and fired multiple shots at him, according to his statements made to investigators. Officer Ryan Castro also fired at the suspect, officials said.
Police attempted to treat Rand on the scene before an ambulance arrived. He was pronounced dead at University Hospital at 9:14 p.m., authorities said. The 911 call initially reporting the shooting was made at 8:34 p.m.
Inside the Johnson Avenue residence, police found three gunshot victims. Wyleek Shaw, 27, was pronounced dead on the scene, 8-year-old Zahmire Lopez later died at the hospital and a third victim sustained minor injuries, officials said.
Police recovered Rand’s handgun on the scene as well as the weapon he threw in the dumpster, a semi-automatic handgun with a large capacity magazine, authorities said.
A 2019 law requires the state Attorney General’s Office to investigate any death that occurs during an encounter with police or while a person is in police custody. The investigation is then presented to a grand jury to determine if any officers involved will be indicted.
Stories by Nicolas Fernandes
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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.