A state grand jury declined to criminally charge a Pemberton police officer in connection to the death of a man who crashed a stolen motorcycle while fleeing police.
John R. Nutt collided with the back of a minivan following the April 20, 2023 chase and was found unresponsive at the scene while an unidentified passenger was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, the state Office of Public Integrity and Accountability said Thursday.
Officer LaQuan Jett attempted to pull Nutt over after police received a 911 call reporting a stolen motorcycle, but the man sped off down County Route 687 in Pemberton, newly released video footage shows.
Dashboard camera footage from Jett’s police cruiser shows the motorcycle weaving through traffic at a high rate of speed, crashing into the back of the van near the route’s intersection with Davis Street before tumbling to the ground along with his passenger.
“Hey, breathe, breathe, breathe,” Jett said to the passenger as the person lays on the pavement, the officer’s body camera shows. The passenger was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital in critical condition but later recovered, authorities said.
Under New Jersey law, all deaths involving police chases are investigated by a grand jury.
Grand jurors reviewed witness interviews, photographs, video footage and autopsy reports and voted “no bill” on April 1, meaning criminal charges were not warranted.
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S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @spsullivan.
