By: Richard L. Smith
A state grand jury has indicted a Woodbridge police sergeant in connection with a fatal officer-involved shooting that claimed the life of a Middlesex County man last year.
According to a statement released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, Sergeant Marco Bruno of the Woodbridge Police Department has been charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the May 29, 2025 shooting death of Aamir Allen, 35, of Carteret.
The grand jury returned the indictment following deliberations that concluded on April 6, after reviewing testimony and evidence related to the incident.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said the state remains committed to ensuring accountability in cases involving the use of deadly force by law enforcement, emphasizing that such force must only be used when it is lawful and necessary.
The case was investigated by the New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, which is tasked with reviewing fatal encounters involving police under a 2019 directive requiring independent investigations and grand jury presentation.
Authorities said the investigation included witness interviews, 911 recordings, body-worn camera footage, surveillance video, radio transmissions, and autopsy findings.
Jurors were also shown video evidence of the encounter before deciding to file charges.
According to investigators, officers were dispatched shortly after 1 a.m. to East Tappen Street in the Port Reading section of Woodbridge following multiple 911 calls reporting an assault involving a man armed with a baseball bat.
Police encountered Allen walking in the roadway while holding the bat.
Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the weapon as they followed him from a distance.
Authorities said Allen did not comply and eventually stopped outside a closed convenience store, still holding the bat.
Prosecutors said Sergeant Bruno arrived moments later after radio transmissions indicated Allen had struck occupied vehicles.
After issuing additional commands, Bruno fired six shots, striking Allen.
Allen was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that morning.
The charges stem from the state’s legal requirement that all fatal police encounters be presented to a grand jury. The case will now proceed through the court system.