The Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) today released police body-worn camera and surveillance footage relating to a fatal police-involved shooting on September 5, 2025 in Jersey City, New Jersey. The decedent was previously identified as Steven B. Sanchez, 26, of Jersey City.
The fatal shooting is under investigation by OPIA. The recordings are being released pursuant to policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 designed to promote the fair, impartial, and transparent investigation of police use of deadly force. Representatives of Mr. Sanchez’s family were given an opportunity to review the recordings prior to their public release.
According to the investigation, at approximately 1:22 p.m., two uniformed Jersey City officers were traveling southbound on John F. Kennedy Boulevard (JFK Blvd.) in a marked police vehicle. Simultaneously, Jersey City Police Sgt. Ricardo Reyes was travelling northbound in a separate marked police vehicle. Sergeant Reyes made a U-turn. According to his later-given statement to law enforcement, he did so to determine if someone had shot at his vehicle. According to a civilian’s later-given statement, the civilian pointed out to Sergeant Reyes an individual, later identified as Mr. Sanchez, walking southbound as the person who had shot at Sergeant Reyes’ police vehicle.
A short distance away, the two officers in the other southbound marked police vehicle similarly made a U-turn. According to their later-given statements to law enforcement, they also sought to investigate if someone had shot at their police vehicle. At approximately 1:23 p.m., the two uniformed officers exited their police vehicle on JFK Blvd. near Clinton Avenue. They observed Mr. Sanchez to be in possession of what appeared to be a handgun and began issuing commands for him to drop the weapon. Mr. Sanchez then pointed the weapon in the officers’ direction. Sergeant Reyes then exited his police vehicle and exchanged fire with Mr. Sanchez, who was struck and injured. After being struck, Mr. Sanchez fired his weapon in the direction of officers and ran towards Sergeant Reyes. A physical struggle ensued and Mr. Sanchez was taken into custody. Officers rendered medical aid until EMS arrived. Mr. Sanchez was subsequently transported to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased at approximately 8:45 p.m. Sergeant Reyes sustained a non-life-threatening injury during the encounter. No other officers or civilians were injured during the incident. A compressed air pistol, as well as numerous projectiles believed to have been fired from that weapon, were recovered at the scene.
The recordings are available here: https://njoag.box.com/s/3t1vmuodlgvdbtznijzmsut3n4mf1ggl
N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2) requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. It requires that all such investigations be presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports the return of an indictment against the officer or officers involved.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.
Further information about how fatal police encounters are investigated in New Jersey under the Independent Prosecutor Directive is posted on the Attorney General’s website here.