NEWARK — A state grand jury has voted not to file any criminal charges at the conclusion of its deliberations regarding the death of Patrick Chin, 43, of Hillsborough, N.J., who was shot and fatally wounded by a Hillsborough police officer on September 28, 2021.

Chin’s death was investigated by the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) and presented to New Jersey residents serving on the grand jury in accordance with the Independent Prosecutor Directive of 2019. In July 2021, OPIA issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure these grand jury presentations are conducted in a neutral, objective manner, with appropriate transparency regarding the process, consistent with the directive.

The investigation included interviews of witnesses, collection of forensic evidence, review of motor vehicle recording footage, and autopsy results from the medical examiner. This evidence, including audio of the incident, as well as video interviews of the involved officers and other eyewitnesses when available, is presented to the grand jury. After hearing the testimony and evidence, the grand jury concluded its deliberations Monday, February 13, 2023, and voted “no bill,” meaning the grand jury concluded no criminal charges should be filed against Hillsborough Police Officer George Kokinakous.

According to the investigation, uniformed officers of the Hillsborough Township Police Department responded to Mr. Chin’s residence on Piedmont Path at approximately 4:10 p.m. on Sept. 28, 2021 in response to a request that the police check on the welfare of Mr. Chin. According to officers, they encountered Mr. Chin inside the home wielding an approximately three-foot-long sword. Officers gave repeated commands to drop the sword but Chin refused to comply. Mr. Chin bore self-inflicted wounds from a sharp object.  Officers used OC spray to attempt to disarm Chin, which was unsuccessful.  Instead, Chin charged at Ofc. Kokinakous with the sword. In response, Ofc. Kokinakous discharged his weapon four times, striking Chin.

The Hillsborough Police Department was not equipped with body-worn cameras (BWC) at the time of this incident and there is no body-camera footage or other video footage that captures the actual shooting. Ofc. Kokinakous had the microphone for his vehicle’s MVR on his person at the time of the incident and audio was captured. The MVR recording was previously released and is posted online: Click here for the recording.

Officers rendered medical aid until emergency medical personnel arrived. Chin was pronounced deceased at approximately 5:28 p.m.

A 2019 law, P.L. 2019, c. 1, requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved. The grand jury is instructed on the elements of the potential criminal offenses, including criminal homicide offenses,  that could be brought and, as required by statutes, the grand jury is instructed on self-defense and other forms of legal justification.

A conflicts check was conducted pursuant to the Independent Prosecutor Directive and no actual or potential conflict of interest was found involving any individual assigned to the investigation. Prior to presentation to the grand jury, the investigation was reviewed by OPIA Executive Director Thomas Eicher in accordance with the policies and procedures established for these presentations in the SOPs.

At the conclusion of these investigations, pursuant to the Independent Prosecutor Directive and SOPs, OPIA determines whether any principal should be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for administrative review in accordance with the AG’s Internal Affairs Policy & Procedures. OPIA monitors any resulting review and takes such actions as are necessary to ensure that the review is completed in a timely fashion, and that appropriate actions are taken based on the results of the review.

The Independent Prosecutor Directive is posted on the Attorney General’s website at this link:
https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcj/agguide/directives/ag-Directive-2019-4.pdf

Further information about how fatal police encounters are investigated in New Jersey under the directive is found at this link:
https://www.njoag.gov/independent-prosecutor/

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