Former Newark Police Department officer Jovanny Crespo was sentenced to 27 years in prison after an Essex County jury convicted him in connection with a January 28, 2019 police chase shooting that killed Gregory Griffin and critically injured passenger Andrew Dixon.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office reported that Crespo, a suspended Newark officer, was convicted after a ten-week trial of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree aggravated assault, and second-degree official misconduct for shooting two men, one fatally, during a car chase through Newark. Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
Reports And Confirmed Case Facts
According to prosecutors, the incident began at about 11:15 p.m. on January 28, 2019, after a Newark officer spotted a handgun in Griffin’s car during a traffic stop. Griffin drove away, and a miles-long chase followed through Newark streets. Prosecutors said Crespo fired at Griffin’s vehicle at three separate locations during the chase, eventually killing Griffin and critically injuring Dixon. Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
The prosecutor’s office said the chase was captured on Crespo’s body-worn camera. In the first shooting, Crespo exited his police car, sprinted toward the fleeing vehicle, and fired three rounds as the car drove away. Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
A New Jersey Appellate Division opinion in related civil litigation stated that Crespo exited his police cruiser three times and shot into Griffin’s moving vehicle, ultimately striking both Griffin and Dixon. The same opinion stated that both injured men were transported to a trauma center, police recovered a loaded semi-automatic handgun from Griffin’s car, Griffin died on January 29, 2019, and Dixon survived the shooting. New Jersey Appellate Division opinion
Allegations And Prosecution Position
Prosecutors alleged Crespo’s use of deadly force was unjustified under New Jersey Attorney General guidelines, which restrict police use of deadly force to situations where the officer or another person is in imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm. Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
ABC7 reported that prosecutors described Crespo’s actions as reckless, including jumping out of a moving police cruiser on three occasions to fire at the fleeing vehicle. ABC7 New York
Defense Claims And Uncorroborated Statements
Crespo’s defense argued that the shooting was justified. ABC7 reported that Crespo said he saw guns in the vehicle, while other officers said the vehicle’s tinted windows prevented them from seeing inside. ABC7 New York
At trial, NJ Spotlight News reported that Crespo’s defense argued he believed his life was in danger and that his conduct fell within use-of-force guidelines. Those were defense claims; the jury rejected them by convicting Crespo. NJ Spotlight News / PBS
Charges
On May 21, 2019, an Essex County grand jury indicted Crespo on six counts. Public reporting and court records described the charges as including aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and official misconduct. New Jersey court opinion
Conviction
On July 5, 2023, an Essex County jury found Crespo guilty after several days of deliberation following a lengthy trial. ABC7 reported that the guilty verdict covered aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault, weapons offenses, and official misconduct. ABC7 New York
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said the jury convicted Crespo of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree aggravated assault, and second-degree official misconduct, and that the verdict followed a ten-week trial before Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin. Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
Sentencing
On May 31, 2024, Crespo was sentenced to a total of 27 years in prison. The Associated Press reported that Judge Ravin sentenced Crespo to 20 years for aggravated manslaughter and seven years for aggravated assault, with those sentences running consecutively. Six-year official misconduct sentences were ordered to run concurrently. AP also reported that Crespo would not be eligible for parole for 22 years and 11 months. Associated Press
AP reported that Judge Ravin described the five-minute chase and shooting as an “abhorrent abuse of police power” and rejected the defense argument that Crespo’s limited time on the job and alleged poor training excused the conduct. Associated Press
Lawsuits And Civil Litigation
Gregory Griffin’s estate filed civil litigation against the City of Newark, the Newark Police Department, Crespo, and other defendants. A federal district court opinion described Griffin’s lawsuit as alleging assault and battery, negligence, wrongful death, excessive force, governmental responsibility, negligent hiring, training and supervision, and respondeat superior liability. The federal court remanded that case to state court. U.S. District Court opinion via Justia
Andrew Dixon’s estate also filed a federal civil case against the City of Newark, Mayor Ras Baraka, Crespo, several Newark officers, and other defendants. In a December 2021 opinion, the federal court dismissed some claims and theories, but allowed other Monell-related claims to move forward in discovery while declining to impose an outright stay pending Crespo’s criminal trial. U.S. District Court opinion via GovInfo
In February 2025, the New Jersey Appellate Division reversed a trial court order that had deemed a notice of claim filed on behalf of Griffin’s estate and heirs to be timely under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act. New Jersey Appellate Division opinion
Official Statements
After the conviction, Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Albu said an Essex County jury had sent a message that it would not tolerate a blatant violation of the law by someone sworn to uphold it. Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said the verdict should not reflect on the work performed daily by the vast majority of law enforcement officers. Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
Appeal Status
New Jersey Courts list the criminal appeal as State of New Jersey v. Jovanny Crespo, docket A-3092-23. The court page states that the appeal was argued on March 17, 2026. No appellate decision was located in the sources reviewed for this story package. New Jersey Courts
Uncorroborated Or Disputed Claims
Crespo’s claim that he saw guns in the vehicle and acted in fear for his life was disputed by the prosecution and rejected by the jury. The recovery of a loaded semi-automatic handgun from Griffin’s car was noted in a New Jersey Appellate Division opinion, but the conviction turned on whether Crespo’s repeated use of deadly force during the chase was legally justified. New Jersey Appellate Division opinion
