Prosecutor: Grand Jury Clears Fair Haven Cop Involved in 2024 Rumson Suspect Chase Shooting

A Monmouth County Grand Jury has declined to file criminal charges against a Fair Haven police officer in connection with a 2024 non-fatal police-involved shooting in Rumson, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Tuesday.

Fair Haven Police Patrolman Brooks Robinson’s use of deadly force stemming from the Rumson incident was investigated by the MCPO Professional Responsibility Unit (PRU), operating under the supervision of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (OAG) Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA).

The incident background …

According to the investigation, shortly before 4:45 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, Rumson and neighboring municipality police were dispatched to two locations in Rumson on reports of two suspects involved in vehicular and attempted residential burglaries.

The first-arriving Rumson Police Department officer encountered a suspect vehicle, which he attempted to stop. The suspect vehicle sideswiped his patrol vehicle and fled the scene. That same officer then chase it in his patrol car.

Meanwhile, Robinson, who was on duty in neighboring Fair Haven, heard the burglary reports and proceeded to Rumson to assist in finding the suspects. Upon turning his patrol vehicle onto Avenue of Two Rivers, Robinson observed two vehicles coming towards him: the suspect vehicle and the pursuing Rumson patrol vehicle. Officer Robinson then activated his emergency lights, came to a stop, and exited his vehicle.

At this point, the suspect vehicle slowed down and appeared to be stopping. However, it instead accelerated forward in the direction of Robinson. Robinson pointed his firearm at the oncoming vehicle, began to give commands to stop, and discharged his firearm, striking a passenger, later identified as 28-year-old Nnamdi Atumudo of Irvington.

The suspect vehicle then crashed and became disabled, and arriving officers began providing medical aid to Atumudo, who sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot injury to the face.

The subsequent investigation involved interviews of witnesses and review of physical evidence, mobile video recorder footage, and body-worn camera (BWC) footage. This evidence, along with recorded interviews given by a Rumson police officer who witnessed the shooting and Robinson, was presented to the Grand Jury, which declined to file criminal charges against Patrolman Robinson.

This Grand Jury presentation was conducted in adherence to OAG Law Enforcement Directive No. 2019-4, known as the Independent Prosecutor Directive. A conflicts check was conducted pursuant to the directive, and no actual or potential conflict of interest was found involving any individual assigned to the investigation.

Prior to presentation to the Grand Jury, the investigation was reviewed by OPIA Executive Personnel of the Fatal Police Encounters Unit. The matter was presented to the Grand Jury by MCPO Professional Responsibility Unit Director and Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Falco.

At the conclusion of investigations of this nature, pursuant to the Directive, OPIA determines whether any principal should be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for administrative review, in accordance with the OAG Internal Affairs Policy & Procedures (IAP&P). OPIA monitors any resulting review and takes any actions necessary to ensure that the review is completed in a timely fashion, and that appropriate actions are taken based on the results.

The Independent Prosecutor Directive is available online here: https://www.nj.gov/oag/excellence/docs/2019-4_Independent_Prosecutor_Directive.pdf

Regarding the underlying criminal matter, Atumudo and a co-defendant, 21-year-old Rasheen Yarbrough of St. Louis, Missouri, were indicted by a Monmouth County Grand Jury and charged with committing multiple burglaries on the night of Sept. 5 through 6, 2024 in Rumson, Howell, and Monmouth Beach.

Atumudo pleaded guilty to: burglary of a motor vehicle in Howell and attempted burglary of a residence in Rumson, both third-degree crimes, and was sentenced to four years in state prison. Yarbrough, the driver of the vehicle that night, who was not injured, pleaded guilty to second-degree eluding and third-degree attempted burglary of a residence in Rumson and was also sentenced to four years in state prison.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office