Jury Finds Police Officer Liable for Shooting of Paterson Man

On Wednesday, Dec. 6, in a Trenton courtroom, Paterson police officer Jerry Moravek was indicted in the near-fatal shooting of Khalif Cooper, 28, last June.

According to court documents and reports, Moravek violated state law, use-of-force guidelines and the standard operating procedures of the Paterson Police Department (PPD). The officer faces second-degree charges of aggravated assault and official misconduct.

In a statement shortly after the indictment was announced, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said, “Deadly force against a fleeing suspect must be used only when absolutely necessary to stop an imminent danger.” Platkin added that Moravek’s decision to shoot a fleeing suspect “was not justified.”

The recent ruling is the latest in a series of significant changes, challenges and restructuring at the Paterson Police Department that have occurred this year.

Following the high-profile police shooting of Paterson community activist Najee Seabrooks, who died on March 3, several community protests and additional criticism of the PPD led to an eventual change in leadership. Officers shot Seabrooks during a five-hour standoff that police contend was justified, despite eyewitness accounts and videos to the contrary.

On March 27, the New Jersey State Attorney’s General seized control of the scandal-scarred department following years of citizen complaints and allegations of abuse and corruption. https://njurbannews.com/2023/03/31/scandal-and-chaos-in-paterson/

Then, in May, Isa Abbassi, the former head of the New York Police Department Strategic Initiatives Department, was named Officer in Charge of the PPD. Abbassi vowed to make the department more transparent and accountable for its actions.

At a press conference following his appointment, Abbassi said, “Every resident and visitor to this historic and diverse city must know that their police department is trained, equipped and supervised in a way that provides the professional constitutionally focused police services the City of Paterson demands.”
https://njurbannews.com/2023/05/10/ex-ny-pd-chief-to-head-paterson-police-department/

Under Abbasi, statistics from the PPD show a 40% drop in shootings and a 60% decrease in murders during the summer of 2023 compared to the same period one year earlier. Overall, crime in the city has decreased by about 8% compared to the same period one year ago, according to the most recent statistics from the PPD.

In other news, police continue to search for the killer or killers of 19-year-old woman, Zahriy Moore of Paterson. Moore and an 18-year-old male were struck by gunfire in October. The unidentified male has since recovered from his wounds. However, Moore succumbed to her injuries in November. Police ask anyone with information to contact them at 973-321-1111.