JERSEY CITY, NJ – State officials have released the names of both the man killed and the police sergeant wounded in a fatal shooting last week on John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
The Attorney General’s Office said Steven B. Sanchez, 26, of Jersey City, died after exchanging gunfire with Sgt. Ricardo Reyes on the afternoon of September 5. The confrontation unfolded near the intersection of Clinton Avenue, where multiple officers had pulled up in separate patrol vehicles and approached Sanchez on the sidewalk.
During the encounter, investigators say Sanchez fired a weapon that was later determined to be a compressed air pistol. Sgt. Reyes returned fire, striking Sanchez. Both men were transported to Jersey City Medical Center, where Sanchez was pronounced dead at about 8:45 p.m. Reyes survived with a non-life-threatening injury.
Under state law, the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability is required to investigate all deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement officers or while a person is in custody. Every such case must be presented to a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges are warranted against the involved officer.
No further information has been released as the investigation continues.
Key Points
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- Steven B. Sanchez, 26, of Jersey City, was fatally shot after an encounter with police on September 5.
- Sgt. Ricardo Reyes exchanged gunfire with Sanchez and suffered a non-life-threatening injury.
- Sanchez was found to be carrying a compressed air pistol; a grand jury review is required by law.
A Jersey City block became the center of a deadly standoff that now heads for grand jury review.