No Charges for the Wrongful Death of DeFarra Gaymon

Way back in August, I blogged about DeFarra Gaymon's wrongful death. He was shot by Officer Edward Esposito in Newark's Branch Brook Park during an undercover investigation of a sex ring. Officer Esposito claimed DeFarra attacked and threaten to kill him. The officer responded by shooting Defarra. 

Well, they just had a hearing and the NJ Grand jury did not charge Officer Esposito with anything.

Here's more:

“We made an effort to find out if there was anyone who saw the events in the park,” said Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office. “No witnesses ever came forward to say they saw all, or a portion, of the encounter.” 

Ms. Carter declined to comment on what evidence was presented to the grand jury, which decided on Friday not to indict the officer. The acting Essex County prosecutor, Carolyn A. Murray, told the Gaymon family late Monday, Ms. Carter said. 

The family is suing Officer Esposito and the sheriff’s office in State Superior Court in Essex County. Christopher W. Kinum, a lawyer for the Gaymons, said, “We don’t feel like we got a legitimate investigation out of the prosecutor’s office.” 

Charles J. Sciarra, a lawyer for the officer, said his client had testified voluntarily before the grand jury. “There was never a doubt that the use of force was an absolute last resort and justified in all aspects,” Mr. Sciarra said.

There are a lot of unanswered questions about this incident. I can't help but to think there's more going on. This story is not over.