Authorities announced that the force used by the officer who shot and ultimately killed Rodney Jencsik, a murder suspect who barricaded himself in Woodbridge Township, was justified.
On October 5, 2015, the Woodbridge Police Department pursued a murder suspect to his home where the suspect ultimately barricaded himself. After a lengthy standoff that included the use of negotiators and less lethal means, the suspect pointed a weapon at police officers and as a result, one officer discharged his weapon twice resulting in the death of Rodney Jencsik.
Woodbridge Police immediately contacted the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, which took control of the investigation and notified the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General in accordance with state guidelines. The specific findings of that investigation concerning the factual circumstances of the incident include the following:
On Monday October 5, 2015 the Old Bridge Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office were in the process of investigating an incident that occurred in the Township of Old Bridge.
The investigation revealed that two individuals were the victims of a stabbing that had occurred at a residence located in the Township of Old Bridge by Rodney Jencsik.
Victim # 1 was transported to a local hospital where the victim succumbed to wounds sustained during the incident. Victim # 2 was also transported to the local hospital in serious condition.
Jencsik then fled the scene in a vehicle registered in his name. A description of the vehicle was broadcasted via police radio to surrounding towns. The vehicle was then observed in the Township of Woodbridge by a marked Woodbridge Police Department patrol unit who subsequently made an attempt to initiate a motor vehicle stop.
Upon initiating the stop, the vehicle failed to comply and fled from the officer disregarding traffic laws and the officers attempt to stop the vehicle. The pursuit ended when the vehicle arrived and parked in front of 27 Freddie Avenue in the Avenel section of Woodbridge.
Jencsik exited the vehicle covered in blood and while holding a handgun entered and barricaded himself inside the residence of 27 Freddie Avenue. The Woodbridge Police Department subsequently activated their Crisis Negotiation Team as well as their Special Operations Team.
Once Crisis Negotiators arrived on scene they made contact with the subject on numerous occasions. The subject sounded upset and extremely intoxicated and conversations lacked any meaningful dialogue. The subject did make a statement to the negotiators that if they tried to enter through the doorway that it would explode. Crisis Negotiators eventually lost phone contact with Jencsik and subsequent attempts went directly to voicemail.
After losing communications with Jencsik, the command staff of the Special Operations Team formulated and executed a plan to deploy chemical agents, specifically Ortho-Chloro-Benzal-Malononitrile, commonly known as “CS”. CS is classified as a lacrimator, as well as a skin and respiratory irritant. The chemical agents were ultimately delivered into the residence with the purpose of having Jencsik exit and surrender.
Once the chemical agents were deployed, Jencsik kicked open the door and while holding a “dark colored object” stated to the officers, “I will kill you!”. Officers then began to give verbal commands to “drop the gun”. The black colored object, believed to be a handgun, was pointed in the direction of the officers. Additional canisters of chemical agents were then deployed into the structure. Jencsik was then heard stating, “Come in here and I will kill you” and, “Don’t make me do it”.
Throughout the incident, officers provided verbal commands to the subject instructing him how to safely surrender to which Jencsik refused to comply. Officers subsequently observed that the entryway into the residence was partially barricaded and that Jencsik was inside brandishing a firearm.
Jencsik was observed waving a handgun in the officer’s directions and ultimately pointing it directly at them. Officers gave multiple verbal commands to the subject to, “drop the gun”. As Jencsik continued to point a handgun at officers, Officer #2 fired two less lethal rounds at Jencsik. Almost simultaneously, Officer #1 observed Jencsik still standing and fired two rounds striking him in the chest. Officers then began to provide medical assistance to Jencsik, and he was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2030 hrs. A .45 caliber handgun and a sawed off shotgun were recovered from the residence.
As is customary in all police-involved shooting investigations, Officer # 1’s training records were reviewed and it was determined that he has received and successfully completed all annual mandatory firearms and Use of Force training prior to this incident.
Upon completion of this investigation, the matter was reviewed by Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey, as well as the appropriate authority within the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
The investigation concerning the use of deadly force in this matter determined that the level of force utilized was justifiable under N.J.S.A. 2C: 3-4, specifically by Rodney Jencsik ignoring commands to drop his weapon, specifically a handgun which could cause serious bodily injury or death.
Furthermore, Mr. Jencsik brandished said weapon in such a way as to infer intent to harm; and having already exhibited the willingness to cause serious bodily injury and death to others in the commission of the crimes he had previously committed in the Township of Old Bridge resulted in the Officer having a reasonable belief that in the absence of such level of force, he (Officer #1) and other officers present at the scene were in jeopardy of incurring serious bodily injury or death.
It should be noted that in accordance with New Jersey Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive No. 2006-5 Supplemental, as well as standard practice by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office in such matters, no conflict of interest existed between the principals involved in conducting or supervising this investigation with any of the subjects involved in the incident in question.
Furthermore, all portions of the Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Directive regarding uniform statewide procedures and best practices for conducting police use of force investigations that were in effect during the course of this investigation were complied with.