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Secaucus PD Properly Handled Suicidal Gunman Who Fired At Them, Grand Jury Finds

As expected, a grand jury found that Secaucus police bore no responsibility in the death of a gunman who exchanged shots with them before turning the weapon on himself, authorities announced Tuesday.

Tactical officers at the Harmon Cove development in Secaucus on Dec. 1, 2019.

Tactical officers at the Harmon Cove development in Secaucus on Dec. 1, 2019.

Photo Credit: WhatsApp

Officers responding to a shots-fired call in the 300 block of Sea Isle Key in the Harmon Cove development on Dec. 1, 2019 found town resident Anthony Rosso, 68, armed with a handgun, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said.

Rosso opened fire at the officers, who shot back, grazing his arm, Bruck said.

He then shot himself in the head, the attorney general said.

Rosso was pronounced dead at the scene, Bruck said, adding that a medical examiner "ruled the manner of death to be suicide."

No one else was injured, he said.

Ballistic evidence showed that Rosso fired five rounds and the three officers fired 16, Bruck said.

Despite the circumstances, the case still went to a grand jury for review under a state law that governs all fatal officer-involved encounters.

Grand jurors reviewed witness interviews, a 911 recording, ballistics tests and, perhaps most importantly, autopsy results, following an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), Bruck said Tuesday.

They concluded deliberations Monday with a no-bill, finding that Rosso was responsible for his own death, the attorney general said

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