Witnesses say that police officers shot and killed a man in Bridgeton, NJ during a traffic stop. The Cumberland County prosecutor says that the investigation is ongoing.
The widow of a South Jersey man shot and killed during a traffic stop wants to know what led to her husband's death.
"We just want answers why this happened," Lawanda Reid said in a news release from the law firm of Conrad J. Benedetto. "No one deserves to die like that."
Reid hired the law firm in hopes of finding out exactly what transpired around 9:20 p.m. Tuesday when police officers in Bridgeton, New Jersey opened fire on her husband Jarame Reid after they pulled over a Jaguar at South Avenue and Henry Street around 9:20 p.m. Tuesday.
The 36-year-old died after being rushed to the hospital.
Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said Bridgeton police officers Braheme Days and Roger Worley both shot one of two people who were in stopped Jaguar.
Webb-McRae said a handgun "was revealed and later recovered." Her office did not return a call or email seeking more details on what led to the shooting.
Reid's attorney identified the car's driver as Leroy Tutt.
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Investigators have revealed few details about what led to the shooting or the initial traffic stop. New Jersey State Police and county prosecutors investigated the deadly incident.
Witnesses said the scene was chaotic after the shooting and Jarame Reid was shot after he was ordered to get out of the car.
Denzel Mosley, 17, said he watched the scene unfold from the attic of his house, which is on the corner of the street in front of where the shooting happened. He said both of Reid's hands were in "plain sight" and he didn't see a gun.
"They were telling him, 'Get out the car,'" he said. "They (police) was like 'Stop!' and they started shooting."
A bullet hole was visible in the windshield of the vehicle.
Tahli Dawkins, who was taking out his recycling at the time of the shooting, told NBC10 he witnessed the incident.
"He had nothing in his hands," Dawkins said. "He had his hands up trying to get out of the car, one on the door was getting out like this and he just started shooting him."
Reid called for an independent investigation and said he planned her own autopsy of her husband's body.
Jarame Reid had a three-month-old son, according to his cousin Keesha Springs.
"He was a good kid," Springs said. "He had a troubled past but after that he became a good person. I love my cousin. Everybody has their bad times and he had his bad times. But he was very lovable."
Funeral services were planned for Saturday morning at Chestnut Assembly of God on E Chestnut Avenue in Vineland, New Jersey.
