Grand jury decides against charges in police shooting of NJ backhoe driver who damaged homes, cars

VINELAND, N.J. (AP) — Authorities say a grand jury has declined to file charges against police officers in the shooting death of a backhoe driver who damaged vehicles and homes at a mobile home park in New Jersey in 2021.

The state attorney general’s office said this week that grand jurors were presented with evidence that included body-worn camera footage and video surveillance in the death of 20-year-old Joshua Gonzalez of Millville. They also heard interviews with the officers involved before deciding earlier this month against bringing charges in the case.

Vineland officers were dispatched to Penn Lincoln Mobile Home Park in December 2021 after a 911 caller reported someone “operating a construction backhoe in an erratic manner,” officials said. Several officers encountered Gonzalez operating the backhoe around 5 a.m. and tried to stop him for about half an hour, without success.

During that time, the driver “caused extensive damage to several residences and vehicles, including two police cars, an ambulance, and an occupied civilian vehicle,” the attorney general’s office said. The office said “Gonzalez flipped over police vehicles with the backhoe and attempted to strike police vehicles that were pursuing him.”

An officer fired his service weapon, and officers and emergency medical personnel rendered first aid before Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene less than 20 minutes later. Three Vineland officers were treated for minor injuries.