New video released in fatal NJ police shooting

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Newvideo released in fatal NJ police shooting
The New Jersey Attorney General released dash cam video from a fatal police shooting last month.

BLOOMINGDALE, New Jersey -- The New Jersey Attorney General released dash cam video from a fatal police shooting last month.

Police shot and killed a suspected shoplifter in Bloomingdale, who they say tried to run over an officer during a chase.

The shooting happened on January 23rd, when a high speed chase with Michael Rivera, 32, ended on Matthews Drive, with the windshield of the maroon SUV he was driving was riddled with bullets.

WATCH: NewsCopter 7 over the shooting scene in Bloomingdale

The series of events that led to the fatal shooting of Rivera started around 10 a.m. that day when officers were in pursuit of Rivera, who was a shoplifting suspect at Home Depot on Route 32 in the neighboring town of Riverdale, and fled the scene.

Officers trailed Rivera, and the pursuit was so intense, that at the time, a nearby elementary school was placed on lockdown.

At one point, Rivera hits to a dead end, and is able to quickly turn around and speed off again. Just a few seconds later, the 32-year-old suspect found himself trapped again.

Once cornered, investigators say Rivera tried to speed off again, this time nearly running over an officer who was approaching him. It was at that point that officer fired shots in the SUV, ultimately killing Rivera.

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