Grand Jury Declines To Charge Old Bridge Police Officer Who Killed Man

LAURENCE HARBOR, NJ — A grand jury voted not to file any criminal charges against the Old Bridge Police officer who shot and killed Luke Mendez, 26, last April in Laurence Harbor.

Mendez was fatally shot by Old Bridge Police Officer Christopher Hammel on April 24, 2023. A grand jury determined April 8 that Officer Hammel did not do anything illegal, and that he did not use unjustified force when Mendez charged down a staircase at him, with a knife in his hand.

The young man's grieving father is Luke Mendez, 59, who lives in Jersey City. He has long maintained that the officer should have used non-lethal force when his son charged at him.

"I don’t know what to say … I lost my son to a police shooting," Mendez said previously. "There should’ve been other options, as per the state Attorney General's guidelines. Not three bullets to end Luke’s life."

The grand jury heard witness interviews, photographs, video and audio recordings from that day. They voted April 8 of "no bill," meaning no charges would be filed against Hammel.

Father Of Man Killed By Old Bridge Police: 'This Could Be Your Son' (May 2023)

Body-Camera Video Released In Old Bridge Police Fatal Shooting (July 2023)

The incident began at 3:09 p.m. April 24, 2023:

Officer Hammel responded to a 911 call regarding an argument at a home on Woodland Avenue in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge. The young man lived in that home with his mother, aunts and grandmother.

"I want to kick him out of the house," an unidentified woman's voice is heard in the 911 call.

Officer Hammel arrived and briefly chatted with two older people in the living room of the home. As he first arrives, the police officer's tone is cheerful and calm.

Then he asked to speak to Luke, and instructs the two adults to remain in the living room.

As body-camera video showed, Luke greeted him at the top of the stairs while holding a knife. The police officer immediately took out his gun, pointed it at the younger man and told him multiple times to drop the knife.

Mendez appears visibly upset and asked the officer multiple times to "please just leave."

He then descended down the stairs holding the knife. That's when Hammel fired his service weapon, striking Mendez.

Mendez was transported to Old Bridge Medical Center and was pronounced dead at 4:47 p.m. that same day.

You can watch the body-camera video and listen to the redacted 911 call here: https://njoag.box.com/s/p53if3wmodn2lijbakzjbxv5oepvak89 (Warning: The video is graphic and depicts a young man being fatally shot. Some people may find the video difficult to watch).