48°
Francis De La Cruz Abad, 21, was operating a Yamaha scooter near the intersection of Route 33 and Whitehorse-Mercerville Road when Detective Brian Davis, driving an unmarked vehicle, tried to stop him shortly after 9 p.m. May 25, Grewal said.
De La Cruz Abad “continued traveling westbound on Route 33 and collided with a Dodge Caravan, whose driver was attempting to turn left into the Mercerville Shopping Center from Route 33 eastbound,” the attorney general said.
De La Cruz Abad “was thrown from the scooter and struck the windshield of the van,” Grewal said. “He was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he died at approximately 3 p.m. on May 27.”
State law and his own guidelines require Grewal’s office to investigate 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."
A 10-step process ensures that the investigation are done “in a full, impartial and transparent manner,” the attorney general said.
Once the investigation is complete, the results will be presented to a grand jury -- ordinarily consisting of 16 to 23 citizens -- which will determine whether or not criminal charges are in order, the attorney general said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Saddle Brook-Elmwood Park and receive free news updates.
