A state grand jury has voted not to file criminal charges in the police shooting death of a New York man at a Woodbridge hotel in 2024.
Karl Gregory, 46, was killed the June 13, 2024 during an encounter with Woodbridge and New York City police at the Royal Albert’s Palace hotel on King Georges Post Road.
The investigation included video footage from hotel surveillance and police bodycams, civilian and law enforcement interviews, photos, ballistics reports, and autopsy results from the medical examiner.
According to the investigation, on June 12, 2024, officers from the Edison Police Department received information from an automated license plate reader that Gregory’s vehicle, which was sought in connection with a shooting that occurred in New York City and left the victim with life-threatening injuries, was in the area.
At approximately 8:20 p.m. officers from the Edison and Woodbridge police departments responded to the Royal Albert’s Palace Hotel, where they located the unoccupied vehicle in the hotel parking lot. Authorities notified the NYPD.
At approximately 12:19 a.m. law enforcement at the hotel were investigating when they were alerted that Gregory was captured on surveillance walking down the hallway toward the elevator.
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At approximately 12:21 a.m. the hotel’s elevator doors opened, and Gregory exited toward the lobby holding multiple bags. Upon seeing officers in the lobby, Gregory dropped his bags and reached into a black backpack. Officers yelled, “Show your hands!” and “Drop the bag!” and Gregory produced a handgun. Gunfire was then exchanged for approximately 20 seconds between Gregory and Woodbridge Officers Drew Krupinski and Justin Nerney and NYPD Detective Matthew Mauro.
During the gunfire exchange, Gregory was struck. Woodbridge police officers rendered medical aid to Gregory until the arrival of EMS personnel. Gregory was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:42 a.m. A handgun located near Gregory was recovered, and ballistically matched to spent shell casings at the scene. Authorities later recovered additional rounds of ammunition in Gregory’s backpack and vehicle.
Nerney and Mauro were also struck by gunfire during the exchange. Both were hospitalized in connection with their injuries and have since been released.
State law requires that the death of any civilian in a police encounter be investigated by the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Woodbridge NJ police officers cleared in fatal hotel shooting