A national group that says it supports wrongfully accused officers will be footing the legal bill for Jovanny Crespo, the Newark officer charged after he shot two men, killing one, during a pursuit on Jan. 28.
The Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund’s board of directors voted to provide financial support as Crespo defends himself against charges including aggravated manslaughter, according to President Jason C. Johnson.
A grand jury indicted Crespo, 26, of Newark May 21 after hearing testimony from him and watching police video of him jumping out of a cruiser three times during the chase to shoot at the men in the fleeing vehicle. The footage also showed his partner telling him to calm down and stay in the car.
Crespo maintains that one of the men in the fleeing car pointed a gun at him. His attorney, Patrick Toscano of Caldwell, said it is a travesty that Crespo was charged and that he “was the only one with the courage and guts to run up to the vehicle.”
The driver, Gregory C. Griffin, 46, had fled a traffic stop involving another officer that night when the officer spotted a gun under or between his legs, according to video footage and authorities. Crespo fatally shot Griffin and also shot his passenger, Andrew Dixon, 35, in the face. A gun was found in the car and Dixon was charged with possessing it.
Asked why the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund wanted to support Crespo, Johnson said it was a clear case where the officer was facing a dangerous, armed person.
“We look for cases where we really believe what the officer did was lawful and consistent with what society expects officers to do,” Johnson said Monday.
At a detention hearing May 28, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Albu questions whether Crespo could have seen whether a gun was pointed at him given the fleeing vehicle’s tinted windows. He said Crespo showed “outrageous recklessness” by shooting at the moving vehicle, especially when officers in another cruiser were potentially in the line of fire.
A judge ordered Crespo released pending trial.
Newark Officer Jovanny Crespo, right, was indicted on charges including aggravated manslaughter for fatally shooting Gregory C. Griffin, 46, on Jan. 28, 2019.Provided/Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media
The Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund’s stated mission is to educate the public about the risks and challenges officers face and to provide financial help to wrongfully accused or charged officers, according to its website.
That financial support will likely be significant for Crespo since he has been suspended without pay since Feb. 26, when the prosecutor’s office announced it would be pursuing indictments.
Toscano said Crespo has only been able to find part-time work as he tries to support his wife and children. While he could have had representation through the Fraternal Order of Police, Toscano said his family chose to hire his firm because it has experience defending police.
Toscano also said Monday that he plans to release information soon to paint a fuller picture of the situation, claiming the prosecutor’s office has deliberately kept information about the incident from the public.
“[T]he state’s injudicious and widespread release of merely bits and pieces of what happened that night constrains us to level the playing field here," he said.
Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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