NJ Cops | Page 67

Knowledge is power in the Mercer County Conference The Mercer County Conference opened its doors to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri to review the procedures for investigating police use-of-force incidents. “He is truly a friend of law enforcement,” stated Ewing Township Local 111 State Delegate Michael Pellegrino, who also serves as the Mercer County Conference chairman. Onofri introduced a PowerPoint presentation to members at the Mercer County Conference meeting with the goal of equipping officers with the knowledge to protect themselves in the aftermath of shooting incidents. “Just because you wear blue doesn’t mean you don’t have rights,” asserted Onofri. With the number of police-involved shooting incidents across the country, Onofri offered an in-depth look at the statewide procedures and practices for investigating and reviewing police useof-force incidents. “This is invaluable to the membership to have this access to Prosecutor Onofri and his knowledge on this topic,” acknowledged Pellegrino. “The more informed we are on this topic, the more protected we are.” The presentation provided an overview into the supplemental Attorney General’s directive from July 28 that Onofri explained takes additional steps to ensure independence and transparency. The prosecutor also outlined the two review processes for police shootings – officer-involved shooting (OIS) and shooting response team (SRT). Onofri addressed the post-closure public statement, where a case is not presented to a grand jury or the grand jury votes for no criminal charges. At this time the county prosecutor must issue a public statement setting forth findings of a shooting investigation and findings regarding justification for use of force without naming the officer. “The officer still has the cloak of innocence around them at this time of the investigation,” recognized Onofri. “We have to do everything we can to preserve officers’ protection.” d Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri addresses Mercer County Conference members on police use-of-force investigation processes under the new supplemental Attorney General's directive unveiled in July. www.njcopsmagazine.com ■ NOVEMBER 2015 67