The New Jersey Attorney General's office is investigation.
A Sparta, New Jersey newspaper is reporting that an off-duty New Jersey state trooper fired his weapon after three teens
mistakenly knocked on his door:
A source said, they mistakenly went to the next door neighbor’s home. After repeatedly ringing the doorbell and loudly knocking on the door, the homeowner, a state trooper, came to the door. When he opened the door and shouted at them, the three men ran away.
The three got into a vehicle and the officer fired three gun shots as they attempted to flee. The car became disabled approximately one half mile from the original scene. Two of the men were apprehended at the vehicle. The third, Matthew Mayer fled, according to local sources.
A neighbor said she was awoken to the “pop, pop, pop” of the gunshots.
A mother of one of the boys said the officer
never identified himself:
Lindsay Marasco said the three boys drove to Whispering Winds off of Sterling Hill Road to drop off Matthew Mayer at a friend’s house.
“After knocking on the door, they heard the loud voice from inside saying ‘I don’t know who the f** you are, get off my f**ing property'," Marasco said. "They didn’t recognize the voice so they ran away. They ran to their car. Because it was in a cul-de-sac they had no choice but to drive past the house to get out. The man was in the street pointing his gun at them. They were scared and just wanted to get out of there. Then he shot his gun at them.”
She said the state trooper, Kissenger Barreau, did not identify himself as a police officer to the boys. This was confirmed by one of the other boys involved. His attorney has advised him not to discuss details at this time.
Marasco continued, “They got as far as Butternut [Way] when something was wrong with the wheel and they couldn’t drive any further.” Her son called her to tell her what happened and to get a ride. She told them they had to call the police to report someone was shooting at them. So, she said, that is what they did.
When police arrived, the boys were arrested, although no charges have been announced.
The New Jersey Attorney General's office has confirmed the investigation:
“I can only confirm that the Attorney General’s Shooting Response Team is investigating an incident during the early morning hours of Sunday on Whispering Wood Lane in Sparta in which an off-duty trooper fired at a vehicle occupied by three young men,” Peter Aseltine, public information officer for the attorney general’s office, said. “Nobody was hit by the gunfire. The Shooting Response Team is continuing to conduct interviews.”
Captain Jones of the Office of Public Affairs of the NJ State Police said, “The only responsible move is to reserve judgement until the facts are revealed.”
The Attorney General's office said they will provide updates as early as today. Stay tuned.