No Criminal Charges For 2 Woodbridge Police Who Shot Man: Grand Jury

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A Middlesex County grand jury voted not to file any criminal charges against two Woodbridge police officers involved in the non-fatal shooting of a Newark man last June at the Sansone Auto Mall on Rt. 1.

The decision not to indict either Woodbridge police officer was just announced Tuesday afternoon by the office of Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.

After hearing testimony and seeing evidence, the grand jury concluded no criminal charges should be filed against Officers Jeain Rastegarpanah and Vincent Pardee of the Woodbridge Police Department.

The shooting happened June 27, 2023 at the Sansone Auto Mall in Woodbridge: Shortly after 2 a.m. on that date, Woodbridge Police received a 911 call that a Dodge Ram parked in the car dealership lot had “suffered an impact.”

This was reported by the owner of the Dodge Ram, who called 911. In response, Woodbridge Police Officer Rastegarpanah and Officer Pardee responded to the car dealership, which was closed at the time. The officers arrived at approximately 2:24 a.m. and approached the Dodge on foot.

They observed, through fogged windows, that there was a person, later identified as Juan Martinez, 40, of Newark, inside. The officers ordered Martinez to exit the vehicle, but he did not comply.

Then, a black SUV entered the dealership parking lot and drove in the direction of Officers Rastegarpanah and Pardee at a high rate of speed. The SUV also made several turns and was driving in an erratic manner before coming to a stop next to the Dodge Ram. At this point, Martinez exited the Dodge Ram and jumped into the SUV, which began to move again.

Rastegarpanah and Pardee both discharged their service weapons in the direction of the black SUV. Martinez was struck three times as he got out of the Dodge Ram and got into the back of the SUV, which fled from the scene.

According to their later formal statements, the officers feared for their lives.

Martinez suffered non-life threatening injuries and was treated at a local hospital over the course of four days. Upon discharge, Martinez was charged with burglary.

The driver of the black SUV that he got into, Alex Martinez, was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and hindering apprehension. He remains at large.

This matter was investigated by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

The county prosecutor's investigation included interviews with witnesses, photographs, surveillance camera footage, body-worn camera footage, physical evidence collected by the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office’s Crime Scene Unit, and ballistics evidence that was examined by personnel from the State Police’s Firearms Unit.

This evidence was presented to the grand jury, which also heard recorded interviews from the two Woodbridge officers who fired their weapons.

After hearing testimony and receiving this evidence, the grand jury concluded no criminal charges should be filed against the two police officers. The grand jury concluded that the two police officers were legally justified in their use of deadly force.