Mercer Times

The Attorney General’s Office has released surveillance-camera footage and police radio transmissions related to the February 5, 2024 death of Raul L. Diaz, a Morris County resident. Diaz, 59, from Long Valley, New Jersey, was killed in a crash involving a member of the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) in Hackettstown.

This incident is currently under investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). The release of these recordings aligns with policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 to ensure fair and transparent investigations of fatal police encounters. Representatives of Diaz’s family were given an opportunity to review the recordings before their public release.

According to preliminary findings, on February 5, 2024, shortly after 6 a.m., Sergeant First Class Kesene Grier of the NJSP was driving an unmarked police SUV that collided with Diaz, who was cycling on Willow Grove Street near Brook Hollow Drive in Hackettstown. Diaz was transported to Hackettstown Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 7:17 a.m.

A law enacted in 2019 mandates that the Attorney General’s Office investigate deaths occurring during encounters with law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. This statute requires all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if there is sufficient evidence for an indictment against the involved officer(s).

The investigation remains ongoing and no additional information is being disclosed at this time.

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