Image Credit: Tapinto Clark
In accordance with the Supplemental Law Enforcement Directive Amending Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive No. 2006-5, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office is releasing the following public statement regarding the nonfatal use of deadly force by an off-duty law enforcement officer in Clark, New Jersey.
Shortly after 7 p.m. on September 20, 2016, a man who was armed with a knife began threatening residents of Cellar Avenue in Clark, New Jersey.
The armed man, later identified as 36-year-old Emmanuel Goda, first approached a resident while she was walking her dog, brandished the knife at her, and made several threatening comments.
Multiple residents heard the woman’s screams and responded to the area to render assistance.
Upon seeing the other residents, Goda turned his attention away from the woman and chased the other residents with the knife, simultaneously making a number of threatening statements to them.
The residents were able to evade Goda’s assaults without physical injuries. Goda then fled down Cellar Avenue and began walking south on Lake Avenue.
Authorities said at 7:13 p.m., the Clark Police Department began receiving calls from concerned citizens regarding a man wielding a knife on Cellar Avenue.
Multiple callers reported observing an armed man threatening residents with a knife. Clark Police Officer 1, who was off-duty at the time, was in close proximity to Cellar Avenue when he heard the dispatches.
Officer 1 responded to the area. Officer 1 was approached by a witness who provided the officer with a description of the man he had seen threatening a resident with a knife.
The officer subsequently observed a subject matching the description provided by the callers and the eyewitness, crossing Lake Avenue at the intersection of Cellar Avenue.
Officer 1 maneuvered his unmarked police vehicle so that he could observe Goda until additional units arrived.
Officer 1 exited his vehicle and pursued the suspect on foot down Lake Avenue.
Shortly thereafter, Officer 2, a uniformed, on-duty Clark Police Officer, arrived at the scene. Officer 2 pulled his patrol vehicle close to Goda, who approached the driver’s side of Officer 2’s vehicle.
Goda lunged at Officer 2, reached his arm through the open car window, and began slashing toward the officer’s face with the knife. Officer 2 immediately reversed his patrol vehicle to avoid being injured by Goda.
Officer 1 observed the interaction and approached within 20 to 25 feet of Goda.
Goda, still holding the knife in his right hand, approached Officer 1.
Officer 1 gave Goda six verbal commands to stop advancing at him and drop the knife.
During this same period, Officer 2, who had since exited his patrol vehicle and was now on the street, was also ordering Goda to drop the knife.
Goda ignored the officers’ commands and continued walking towards Officer 1 while holding the knife in his right hand.
Officer 1 fired a single shot at Goda once he was approximately five to 10 feet away from him, striking Goda in the abdomen.
Goda stopped advancing at Officer 1, dropped the knife, and began complying with instructions from the officers.
After securing Goda, the officers called for an ambulance and Goda was subsequently transported to a hospital.
A significant portion of the exchange between Goda and Officer 1 was captured on video.
The video shows Goda advancing towards Officer 1 over a period of approximately 20 seconds. Officer 1 can clearly be heard on the video ordering Goda to drop the knife moments before firing his weapon.
In accordance with Law Enforcement Directive 2006-5, the matter was presented to the Union County Grand Jury to determine if Officer 1’s nonfatal use of deadly force was legally justified. Following a lengthy review of all relevant evidence, including statements from all officers and civilians known to be present at the time of the incident, and all video evidence, the Union County Grand Jury returned a no-bill of indictment, finding that the credible evidence established that Officer 1’s use of force was justified by the legal principles of defense of self and others.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office complied with all portions of the Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Directive regarding the investigation and prosecution of police use of deadly force.
IMAGE CREDIT: TAP CLARK