TRENTON, NJ – A New Jersey state grand jury has declined to file criminal charges against Bloomfield police officers involved in a July 2024 pursuit that ended in a fatal crash in East Orange, killing 43-year-old Omar Williams of Hamilton, according to an announcement from Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport.
The decision, made on February 9, followed a months-long investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). Evidence presented to the grand jury included police body and dashboard camera footage, third-party surveillance videos, radio transmissions, witness statements, and autopsy findings. After deliberations, the jury returned a “no bill,” determining that no criminal charges were warranted.
The investigation found that on the morning of July 23, 2024, police began searching for a stolen Nissan Sentra believed to have been used in two robberies in Montclair and Bloomfield. A female victim was robbed of her purse outside an Acme grocery store around 10:57 a.m., and a second woman was attacked and robbed outside a CVS about 15 minutes later.
Bloomfield police later located the stolen vehicle in Newark, where Deputy Chief Anthony Sisco, Lieutenant Michael Moleski, and Detective James Romano attempted to stop it. The Nissan fled, leading officers on a roughly 2.9-mile pursuit lasting about four minutes through Newark and East Orange. Sergeant Raymond Diaz joined the pursuit in a marked police vehicle with lights and sirens activated.
Fatal collision ends high-speed pursuit
At approximately 1:08 p.m., the Nissan crossed into the wrong lane on Park Avenue in East Orange and collided with a Toyota Camry attempting a left turn. The Sentra then struck a parked ambulance, causing fatal injuries to Williams, who was driving the stolen car. He was pronounced dead at 1:38 p.m. at a nearby hospital. Other civilians involved sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
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The Attorney General’s Office previously released video footage of the incident, which remains publicly available online.
Under N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), the Attorney General’s Office is required to investigate any death occurring during an encounter with law enforcement and present the findings to a state grand jury. The jury in this case determined that the evidence did not support criminal charges against the officers involved.
- Grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing by Bloomfield police in July 2024 pursuit
- 43-year-old Omar Williams died when a stolen Nissan crashed in East Orange
- OPIA to review case for possible administrative action under internal affairs policy
Following standard procedure, OPIA will now determine whether the involved officers should be referred for administrative review under the Attorney General’s Internal Affairs Policy and Procedures.
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