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On Thursday, Dec. 28, officers from the Cranford Police Department were pursuing a stolen vehicle when it crashed in the area of Exit 131 on the Parkway southbound, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.
After the crash, the driver of the vehicle, Kevin Harlfinger, exchanged gunfire with Cranford Police Officers Christopher Folinusz and Ryan McSharry, Platkin said. Harlfinger was pronounced deceased at the scene at approximately 12:04 a.m., Friday, December 29.
A firearm was recovered from Mr. Harlfinger, and spent shell casings recovered from the scene were ballistically determined to come from that firearm, Platkin said. Officer Folinusz sustained a non-fatal gunshot wound, was treated at a hospital, and later released, Platkin said.
Harlfinger’s death was investigated by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) and presented to New Jersey residents serving on the grand jury in accordance with the Independent Prosecutor Directive of 2019. In July 2021, OPIA issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure these grand jury presentations are conducted in a neutral, objective manner, with appropriate transparency regarding the process, consistent with the directive, Platkin said.
The investigation included footage from mobile video recorders and various body-worn cameras, interviews with civilians and law enforcement personnel, photographs, ballistic testing results, and autopsy results from a medical examiner, Platkin said.
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