By: Richard L. Smith
A state grand jury has decided not to file criminal charges in the fatal shooting of Shannon Rose, 39, of Manchester Township, New Jersey, during an encounter with police officers on December 5, 2023, according to the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA).
The investigation, conducted under the guidelines of the Attorney General’s Independent Prosecutor Directive of 2019, included witness interviews, body-worn camera footage, ballistics analysis, and autopsy findings.
This evidence was presented to the grand jury, which ultimately returned a “no bill” decision, meaning no charges would be filed against Manchester Police Officers Nicholas Greenwood and Michael Anderson.
The incident began around 8:28 p.m. when Manchester Township police responded to a 911 call reporting a distressed individual, later identified as Mr. Rose, who was armed with a semi-automatic rifle and had left his home in a white van.
Shortly after, the van was involved in a nearby crash, and officers located Mr. Rose in a wooded area on Elizabeth Avenue.
According to the investigation, Mr. Rose was armed and refused officers’ repeated attempts over 20 minutes to negotiate his surrender.
Although he emptied his rifle’s magazine, he refused to clear the live round remaining in the chamber.
Eventually, Mr. Rose raised the weapon, prompting Officers Greenwood and Anderson to fire, striking him.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ballistics testing confirmed that one of the shell casings recovered at the scene came from Mr. Rose’s rifle. 
The grand jury’s decision followed standard procedures outlined in 2021 to ensure a neutral and transparent process, consistent with the Attorney General’s directives.
The OPIA emphasized its commitment to impartial investigations into law enforcement use-of-force incidents.