A jury convicted the Newark police officer who fatally shot a Middlesex County man outside a Union Township bar while off duty in 2016.
Officials say Joseph Macchia was convicted in connection with the death of 37-year-old Michael Gaffney of Piscataway, outside Paddy’s Place bar in Union Township on May 13, 2016.
According to authorities, Macchia and Gaffney got into a physical fight outside the bar. After several minutes, Macchia and Gaffney separated from one another. However, several minutes later, they reengaged in a second physical altercation. It was during the second fight that Macchia fired his service weapon several times, fatally shooting Gaffney, according to the Union County prosecutor.
After approximately a week of deliberations, the jury concluded the trial with a conviction.