No Special Grand Jury For Police Shooting Review

Peter Dazeley, Getty Images

Middlesex County prosecutors say a state judge has denied their request to impanel a special grand jury to review a fatal police shooting that’s sparked several protests.

Instead, last fall’s shooting of 46-year-old Barry Deloatch by New Brunswick police will be assigned to one of four grand juries due to be impaneled next month.

County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan announced the decision Wednesday. He said a special grand jury would have met on consecutive days and only heard evidence involved in the shooting.

Authorities have said Deloatch ran off Sept. 22 after two officers approached him and two other men. The subsequent chase ended with one officer shooting Deloatch.

Officials say Deloatch picked-up a board and threatened the officers.

But Deloatch’s relatives dispute that and want the officers to face charges.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)