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Despite the obvious circumstances, state law and administrative guidelines required New Jersey Attorney Matthew Platkin to investigate the death last April 20 of John R. Nutt, 41, of Mount Laurel because a law enforcement officer was involved.
Platkin's office released video last July from both the dashcam of the pursuing officer and the bodycam of a colleague who arrived from the opposite direction after the crash.
Also released was the 5:16 p.m. 911 call that led to the pursuit on Route 687 in Burlington County after Nutt was accused of stealing the motorcycle.
The speeding cycle collided with a minivan at the intersection of Davis Street as Nutt was pursued by Pemberton Township Police Laquan Jett.
Nutt, whose image is pixelated on the video, was declared dead at the scene.
A passenger who landed just feet away was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital in critical condition and was later released, Platkin said. The two occupants of the minivan declined medical treatment, he said.
Recordings from the incident are available here: Pemberton -- Nutt Recordings (NJAG)
State law and his own guidelines required Platkin to review deaths that occur “during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody," no matter what the circumstances are, the attorney general has said.
The guidelines guarantee that the investigation is done “in a full, impartial and transparent manner," removing politics or personal agendas, he said.
An investigation by Platkin’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) included witness interviews, photographs, review of video footage, and autopsy results from the medical examiner.
The evidence, including video of the incident, was presented to the grand jury in a "neutral, objective manner, and with appropriate transparency,” the attorney general said.
After hearing the testimony and reviewing the evidence, the grand jurors voted a no bill, clearing the officer of any wrongdoing.
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