Jury Decides Fate Of NJ Troopers After Man Dies In Custody

WARREN COUNTY, NJ — A group of New Jersey state troopers were found to be free of blame after a suspect died in their custody last year, the NJ Attorney General announced.

The ruling comes more than a year after an encounter in Knowlton Township left 38-year-old Armond Anthony Avitable, of Pennsylvania, dead.

The incident occurred on Feb. 12, 2024, just before 8 p.m., when state troopers responded to a call about an active shooter at a residence on Columbia Street in Knowlton.

Police found a woman had been fatally shot inside the home.

A description of the suspect, Avitable, was sent to law enforcement, and a search for the shooter began.

Just after 8 p.m., NJSP Sgt. Kyle Bruno and State Troopers Sarah Heitzenroeder, Justin Watts, Conner McNemar, and Connor Krueger found Avitable near Route 46 and Interstate 80 and arrested him following a struggle.

While in police custody, Avitable suffered from a medical episode and lost consciousness. Officers tried life-saving measures to help Avitable, including the use of CPR and a defibrillator, officials said.

Avitable was eventually rushed to a nearby hospital in an ambulance, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour after he was apprehended.

Avitable’s death was ruled an accident, as the medical examiner found the cause of death to be “drug toxicity complicating hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”

An investigation into Avitable’s death was conducted by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). Evidence collected during the course of the investigation, including 911 calls, radio transmissions, witness interviews, photographs, medical records, as well as toxicology and autopsy results, was presented to a grand jury.

The jury also reviewed police body camera footage, which can be viewed here. (Editor’s Note: this footage contains explicit language and imagery that some readers may find disturbing.)

In the video, Avitable can be seen struggling and screaming as police try to restrain him. Moments later, Avitable becomes unresponsive, and police immediately begin CPR just before the video ends.

After reviewing all of the evidence presented by the OPIA, the grand jury decided that the officers involved should not face criminal charges in relation to the incident.