55°
The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office announced its findings on Thursday after investigating the fatal June 2018 shooting at the "Art All Night" festival.
The use of force by two detectives and two officers was legally justified, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri concluded.
A rowdy crowd of early 1,000 people prompted the all-night festival to shut down early. But about 3:25 a.m., gunfire broke out between gang members, according to news accounts.
Trenton police reportedly returned fire on multiple suspects, resulting in one fatality: 33-year-old Tahaij Wells.
Onofri's office found it unnecessary to present the case to a grand jury because there were no material facts in dispute regarding the lawfulness of the use of force, according to Thursday's report.
The report describes Wells as carrying a handgun and approaching a Trenton officer. Wells "continued to move and would not show his hands," the report says.
Wells was shot by two police officers multiple times from two different directions, the report concluded.
One patrol officer was "fearing for his safety and that of others in the area," according to the the report.
Two firearms were recovered near Wells’ body, the prosecutor's office said.
Davone White, 27 at the time, and 24-year-old Amir Armstrong, both of Trenton, were indicted on weapons charges, as reported here by The Trentonian.
Almost two dozen people including Davone White were wounded at Cooper Field and Park, according to multiple news reports.
ALSO SEE: An earlier account of the June 2018 Art All Night festival shooting, by The Trentonian.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Marlton-Evesham and receive free news updates.
