A state grand jury has indicted Woodbridge Police Sergeant Marco Bruno on a charge of first-degree aggravated manslaughter following the fatal shooting of Aamir Allen, 35, during a police encounter on May 29, 2025 in Woodbridge Township. The indictment was announced on April 7 after the grand jury concluded deliberations on April 6.
The case is significant because it was presented to the grand jury under a law that requires all deaths involving law enforcement officers to be reviewed for possible criminal charges. This process is intended to ensure accountability and transparency when deadly force is used by police.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said, “Every day, law enforcement bears the burden and responsibility of keeping the people of New Jersey safe. My office is fully committed to prosecuting this charge and ensuring that law enforcement only uses deadly force when lawful and necessary.”
According to investigators, officers responded shortly after 1:00 a.m. to multiple emergency calls reporting an assault involving Allen, who was carrying a baseball bat. Officers repeatedly ordered Allen to drop the bat as he walked away from them before stopping outside a closed convenience store. After additional commands were ignored and reports that Allen had struck occupied cars with the bat were broadcast over police radio, Bruno arrived at the scene and fired six shots at Allen. Allen died later that morning at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
The Attorney General’s Office conducted an investigation that included interviews with witnesses, review of body-worn camera footage, surveillance video, photographs, radio transmissions, autopsy results from a medical examiner, and other evidence. Video recordings related to this incident are being released publicly according to policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019.
According to the official website, the New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin aims to protect residents’ lives and property while upholding legal standards across all counties and municipalities in New Jersey. The office enforces laws statewide through oversight functions including public safety regulation as well as providing services such as legal representation for state agencies and victim advocacy initiatives according to its statutory mandate.
First-degree aggravated manslaughter carries a sentence ranging from ten to thirty years in prison under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act along with fines up to $200,000 if convicted; however Bruno remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The investigation into this incident continues.