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Despite the obvious circumstances, state law and administrative guidelines require New Jersey Attorney Matthew Platkin to investigate the death of John R. Nutt, 41, of Mount Laurel in Pemberton Township that early April evening.
Platkin's office released video 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. 9-1-1 call that led to the pursuit on Route 687 in Burlington County on April 20, 2023.
The speeding motorcycle collided with a minivan at the intersection of Davis Street while being pursued by Pemberton Township Police Laquan Jett.
Nutt, whose image is pixelated on the video, was declared dead the scene.
The 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.
The recordings are available here: Pemberton -- Nutt Recordings (NJAG)
State law and his own guidelines require 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.
Part of the process involves releasing audio and video recordings after they've been reviewed with the suspect's loved ones.
Once the investigation by Platkin’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) is completed, the results are presented to the grand jury “in a neutral, objective manner, and with appropriate transparency,” the attorney general said.
The panel then renders a ruling on whether the incident was handled according to the attorney general's guidelines.
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