Trenton, NJ – A New Jersey state grand jury has voted not to file criminal charges against a Haddon Township police officer following its review of the fatal police shooting of Keith Edelin, 46, of Pennsauken, during an encounter on Nov. 3, 2024, in the Westmont section of Haddon Township.
The decision came after the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability presented the results of its investigation, as required under New Jersey’s Independent Prosecutor Directive of 2019 and state law governing deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement. The grand jury concluded its deliberations Monday and returned a “no bill,” determining that no criminal charges should be filed against Officer Luke Falkenberg.
Investigation reviewed extensive evidence
According to the Attorney General’s Office, investigators presented 9-1-1 recordings, police radio transmissions, body-worn camera footage, witness and officer statements, a ballistics report, and the medical examiner’s autopsy findings to the grand jury.
The investigation found that officers responded at approximately 1:07 a.m. to a reported attempted burglary in progress at an apartment complex on West Crystal Lake Avenue. After arriving, officers discovered blood in the building’s lobby, elevator, and hallway before locating Edelin in a stairwell on the top landing while armed with a knife.
Authorities said officers repeatedly ordered Edelin to drop the weapon and told him they were there to help. After an approximately two-minute encounter, investigators said Edelin moved down the stairwell toward officers while still holding the knife, prompting Falkenberg to fire his service weapon.
Officers rendered aid after shooting
According to investigators, officers immediately rendered medical aid until emergency medical personnel arrived. Edelin was transported to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
A knife was recovered at the scene, and no officers were injured during the encounter, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Body-worn camera footage and other video related to the incident were previously released by the Attorney General’s Office and remain publicly available online.
What happens next
With the grand jury returning a “no bill,” no criminal charges will be filed against Falkenberg in connection with the shooting. The Attorney General’s Office released the decision in accordance with New Jersey’s policy requiring public disclosure after grand jury proceedings involving deaths during law enforcement encounters are completed.
Under New Jersey law, every death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in an official capacity must be investigated by the Attorney General’s Office and presented to a state grand jury. The process is intended to provide an independent review of the evidence, with jurors instructed on applicable criminal offenses as well as legal defenses, including self-defense and other statutory justifications.
