TRENTON — A state grand jury has voted not to file any criminal charges at the conclusion of its deliberations regarding the death of Shannon Rose, 39, of Manchester Township, New Jersey, who was fatally shot during an encounter on December 5, 2023 with police officers in Manchester, in Ocean County.

Mr. Rose’s death was investigated by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) and presented to New Jersey residents serving on the grand jury, in accordance with the Attorney General’s Independent Prosecutor Directive of 2019. OPIA issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) in July 2021 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 witness interviews, review of video footage from body worn cameras, ballistics testing, and autopsy results from the medical examiner. This evidence was presented to a state grand jury. After hearing the testimony and evidence, the grand jury finished its deliberations and voted “no bill,” concluding that no criminal charges should be filed against Manchester Police Officers Nicholas Greenwood and Michael Anderson.

According to the investigation, on December 5, 2023, at approximately 8:28 p.m., members of the Manchester Township Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting an individual in distress, later identified as Mr. Rose, who was in possession of a semi-automatic rifle and had left his home in a white van. A short time later, officers learned the white van was involved in a motor vehicle crash nearby and responded to that scene. There, the officers heard a gunshot and, in attempting to discover its source, located Mr. Rose in a wooded area on Elizabeth Avenue, armed with a semi-automatic rifle. For approximately twenty minutes, officers unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate with Mr. Rose to surrender the weapon. Mr. Rose emptied the magazine but refused orders to clear the live round in the chamber and eventually raised the rifle. Manchester Police Officers Nicholas Greenwood and Michael Anderson discharged their firearms, striking Mr. Rose, who was later pronounced deceased.  Among the shell casings recovered at the scene and ballistically tested, one was determined to have been discharged from Mr. Rose’s rifle.

Footage from a police body-worn camera and two 911 calls relating to this fatal officer-involved shooting were previously released. Those recordings are posted online:https://njoag.box.com/s/eeqnc6hbaqlwdm8xelbsomq83hoshfci

A 2019 law, N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), 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 Drew Skinner 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 officer 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.

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