Five years ago, a former police officer from New Jersey was involved in a police chase through Newark that ended with the fatal shooting of a Black man. Recently, the officer was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his actions.
In June 2023, Jovanny Crespo, a Hispanic individual, was found guilty of felony charges including aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault, and two counts of official misconduct for the death of Gregory Griffin on January 28, 2019.
The reason behind the delay in finalizing the sentencing remains unclear in an open-and-shut case of fatal misconduct. The verdict of guilty was delivered almost a year ago, yet it took a full year to conclude the sentencing.
According to NJ.com, the officers’ “shoot-first, ask-questions-later” mentality was cited by the judge as the reason for the police shooting.
According to prosecutors, Andrew Dixon, who was a passenger of Griffin, was seriously injured and although he survived the incident, he has since passed away due to unrelated causes.
During the investigation, Crespo asserted that he had spotted guns in Griffin’s car. However, his fellow officers who were also present during the incident mentioned that they were unable to see inside the vehicle because of its heavily tinted windows.
Crespo’s lawyer was funded by the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund.
Crespo’s defense team argued that the shooting during the trial was justified. However, prosecutors described Crespo’s actions as an excessive use of force, stating that Officer Griffin lost his life due to Crespo’s extreme recklessness.
During the fatal pursuit, Griffin was stopped by the police for exceeding the speed limit, and the officer discovered that he was carrying a loaded semi-automatic pistol.
Griffin quickly shifted the car into gear and made a swift escape, with the officer hot on their tail.
On May 21, 2019, Crespo faced indictment after a thorough four-month investigation that found his behavior to be of a criminal nature.
According to prosecutors, Crespo’s gunfire during the chase was not justified as there is no evidence that Griffin ever retaliated or even rolled down his windows.
During the trial, Crespo took the stand and testified in his defense, stating that he had witnessed a gun being pointed at him.
According to CBS News New York, he claimed to have stopped a threat while testifying on the stand.
However, Crespo’s police report failed to mention any immediate danger that he faced. Instead, he only described the threat as a swiftly moving vehicle. It is worth noting that prosecutors pointed out this discrepancy.
In his closing statement, defense attorney Patrick Toscano argued that Crespo’s actions did not constitute official misconduct.
“He saved lives that night – no questions asked,” he affirmed, referring to the law enforcement officer.
However, in his closing statement, the Assistant Prosecutor of Essex County, Alex Albu, argued that the defendant had no justification to use lethal force as the suspect was attempting to flee.
In court, Aida Crespo, the mother of Crespo, made an emotional plea to the judge for mercy following her son’s conviction. She tearfully expressed how a lengthy sentence would not only be devastating for her son but for their entire family.
The judge sentenced Crespo for almost thirty years, despite her fervent plea.
If he behaves well during his prison sentence, he may be able to get released in 23 years, reducing his time by five years.
A former New Jersey police officer, who fatally shot a black driver by firing seven bullets into his car during a chase over a speeding ticket, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison. The officer’s actions were described as “shoot first, ask questions later.”
