By: Richard L. Smith
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has released body-worn camera footage and police radio recordings connected to a fatal police-involved shooting that occurred in Newark earlier this year.
Officials said the materials, which include recordings from five officers’ body cameras, relate to the January 19, 2026 incident that resulted in the death of 42-year-old Wali Bey of Newark.
According to the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), the shooting remains under active investigation.
The footage and radio transmissions were released in accordance with policies established by the Attorney General in 2019 that require the public disclosure of evidence in fatal police encounters in an effort to ensure transparency and public trust.
Click HERE for camera footage.
Authorities confirmed that members of Bey’s family were given the opportunity to review the recordings before they were made public.
Investigators said the incident began shortly after 1 p.m. when a Newark Police Department officer assigned to the department’s Quality-of-Life Unit was conducting surveillance near Ross Street and Thorne Street.
During the surveillance operation, the officer observed what was believed to be narcotics activity and radioed descriptions of two vehicles suspected to be connected to the activity, including a white Chrysler.
Plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles and uniformed officers in marked patrol units responded to the location.
Among those responding was Newark Police Officer Nashid Reynolds.
Authorities said officers arrived at the intersection around 1:11 p.m. and began detaining two individuals near the Chrysler while issuing commands for the driver, later identified as Bey, to place his hands on the dashboard.
Officer Reynolds was assisting another officer with detaining a separate individual near an unmarked police vehicle positioned in front of the Chrysler when the situation suddenly escalated.
Investigators said the Chrysler began to reverse. Officer Reynolds then ran toward the vehicle, placed his hand on the hood, and shouted commands for the driver to stop moving.
According to the preliminary investigation, the Chrysler then turned its wheels and began moving forward.
At that moment, Officer Reynolds fired his service weapon multiple times, striking Bey and another individual who was inside the vehicle.
The Chrysler continued down Ross Street before crashing into a parked vehicle.
Authorities said Officer Reynolds immediately approached the crashed vehicle and began providing medical aid to Bey.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing and is being handled by the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, which is responsible for investigating fatal police encounters in New Jersey.