Attorney General Releases Videos and 911 call in May “Police-Involved” Shooting
The Attorney General’s Office has released video footage and a 911 call in a fatal police-involved shooting last month.
The May 24 shooting — in front of a BP gas station on Communipaw Ave. — left Joseph Robertson, 59, of Jersey City, dead. Officer Omar Polanco of the Jersey City Police Department reportedly filed the fatal shot(s).
In a dramatic four minute 911 call, a woman can be heard asking for police assistance. “There’s a guy following me with a gun” she tells the 911 operator. A transcript of the 911 call can be read here.
The Attorney General released two videos taken by security cameras and a body cam video. A woman wearing white shorts and pink shoes can be seen arriving at the gas station. A man in a grey sweat suit arrives shortly thereafter accompanied by another woman. The first woman in white shorts walks away.
The man and woman walk together towards where the first woman walked and cross the street. Police officers jump jump out of their car and confront them. The man appears to grab the woman next to him. They fall to the ground. The woman with pink shoes and white shorts appears from the left and runs over to them.
A body cam video shows the police getting out of the police car and approaching the man and woman. The man appears to grab the woman. They then fall to the ground. The woman in white shorts run over. An officer can be heard asking “where’s the gun.” Someone says “he kicked it.”
According to the the Attorney General, the incident began with the 911 call reporting a domestic dispute. The responding officers arrived at the gas station at Communipaw Ave. and West Side Ave. and saw Robertson pull the woman closer to him and place her in a “headlock.” The officers reported seeing Robertson point what appeared to be a gun at the woman. Officer Polanco fired his weapon, killing Robertson.
Although officers and emergency medical personnel rendered first aid to Robertson, he was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter.
A firearm was recovered near Mr. Robertson.
The fatal shooting remains under investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA).
