2 Edison police officers won’t face charges stemming from 2022 fatal shooting

A grand jury earlier this week voted against charging officers Daniel Bradley and Joseph Elqumos in the death of 49-year-old Merrill Rambarose.

News 12 Staff

Sep 30, 2023, 9:10 PM

Updated 342 days ago

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Two Edison police officers will not face any criminal charges following a fatal shooting last year.
A grand jury earlier this week voted against charging Officers Daniel Bradley and Joseph Elqumos in the death of 49-year-old Merrill Rambarose.
Body camera footage from April 2022 shows Bradley and Elqumos attempting to communicate with Rambarose from his apartment. They were responding to a 911 call that said a man was threatening a woman with an axe.
Rambarose proceeded to step out of his apartment with the axe and was ordered to drop it multiple times but did not comply and ran toward the officers.
Police say the officers – fearing for their safety – fired their weapons, shooting Rambarose. EMTs administered first aid before Rambarose was pronounced dead at JFK University Medical Center.
A comprehensive investigation took place over the past year that included witness interviews, photographic evidence, a review of video footage, and the medical examiner's autopsy report.
Final deliberations took place on Sept. 25 when all relevant evidence was presented to the grand jury.