No Charges For Asbury Park Officer In Fatal Shooting: State Officials

ASBURY PARK, NJ - A state grand jury decided not to charge an Asbury Park officer who fatally shot a man who was armed with a knife during a reported domestic dispute in 2020, officials announced.

Hasani Best, 39, of Asbury Park, was struck by a bullet from Sgt. Sean De Shader’s service weapon on Aug. 21, 2020, inside a two-family residence on 4th Avenue in Asbury Park, after Best had barricaded himself inside an apartment.

When police arrived at around 9 p.m., Best and a woman were involved in a domestic dispute, the Attorney General’s office said. The woman was outside, and Best was barricaded upstairs.

Monmouth County sheriff's officers soon arrived to assist the Asbury Park police officers, with officers attempting to negotiate with Best through the door of the apartment in an effort to end the standoff.

During the incident, Best opened the door at various times, revealing that he was armed with a knife, the Attorney General’s office said, with Best continuing to hold the knife despite repeated requests from the police to drop the weapon.

Officers attempted to use a taser, but it wasn't effective, the office said. Best remained armed with the knife, and at approximately 10:10 p.m., De Shader shot and fatally wounded him.

Officers and EMS rendered medical aid, and EMS transported Best to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where he was pronounced dead at 10:31 p.m., the office said.

Related: Video Of Police-Involved Shooting Death In Asbury Park Released

The Office of Public Integrity and Accountability investigated the shooting. State law requires the AG's office to investigate any police-involved death.

The investigation included interviews of witnesses, collection of forensic evidence, review of video footage, as well as autopsy results from the medical examiner. The grand jury voted Monday on a “no bill,” meaning the jury found that De Shader’s actions should not result in charges against him.

"An officer may use deadly force in New Jersey when the officer reasonably believes it is immediately necessary to protect the officer or another person from imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm," officials said.

Best's family previously demanded criminal charges for De Shader, calling Best's death unjustified.

"They didn’t have to take his life," Carol Sanders, Best's mother, told the Asbury Park Press in 2020. "They was laughing and joking with him one minute and then they shot him through the door, through his chest and in his stomach, and killed him."

"That police officer took my son's life. And he didn't have to. He didn't have to."

With reporting by Tom Davis.