A Woodbridge police officer charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a baseball-bat-wielding man acted justifiably and will be cleared at trial, his defense attorney said Wednesday.
Sgt. Marco Bruno faces a rare indictment for first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the on-duty killing of a 35-year-old man outside a convenience store last year following a domestic violence incident.
Bruno, a 17-year law enforcement veteran, could face 10 to 30 years in prison if convicted. The Attorney General’s Office announced the charges on Tuesday, saying a grand jury concluded Bruno acted rashly when he fired six shots at Aamir Allen of Carteret early May 29, 2025.
“The simple fact is nobody could put themselves in Sergeant Bruno’s shoes,” Patrick Caserta, his lawyer, said in an interview. “He had to make a very split-second decision to protect himself, his fellow officers, and anybody else that was there.”
Caserta called the shooting “tragic, but not unjustified.”
Police body camera video shows Bruno opening fire on Allen after he refused to drop a baseball bat he was carrying as he walked in the roadway after 1 a.m. in the Port Reading section of town.
The footage showed Bruno running through other officers who surrounded Allen, then firing within seconds of ordering him to put down the bat. Allen did not appear to move toward the officers before shots rang out.
“Every day, law enforcement bears the burden and responsibility of keeping the people of New Jersey safe,” New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in announcing the charges. “My office is fully committed to prosecuting this charge and ensuring that law enforcement only uses deadly force when lawful and necessary.”
Caserta would not discuss specifics of the shooting, but maintained Bruno followed use-of-force guidelines. He called Bruno a “bright, thoughtful and well-disciplined” supervisor who does not have a history of discipline within the department.
“I just would urge people not to look at that body cam video and jump to the wrong conclusion, because I’m confident it does not present an accurate image of what Sergeant Bruno faced that night,” Caserta said.
Attempts to reach Allen’s family were unsuccessful. No one answered the door Wednesday at his last known address.
Before the shooting, officers had been dispatched to a home on East Tappen Street in response to multiple 911 calls reporting an assault with injuries involving Allen, prosecutors said.
Police found Allen leaving the area of the home and walking east along Port Reading Avenue, with officers following him from a distance, prosecutors said.
Bruno responded shortly after police radio reported Allen had been striking occupied cars with his bat, prosecutors said.
Bruno got out of his police vehicle and, after issuing several commands for Allen to drop the bat, fired six shots from his service weapon, prosecutors said.
It is extremely rare for officers to face manslaughter charges following on-duty shootings, both in New Jersey and nationally.
Former Newark Police Officer Jovanny Crespo was sentenced to prison in 2024 for shooting two men during a car chase in 2019 that left one dead and another wounded.
Mantua Township Police Officer Salvatore Oldrati was charged in 2023 with manslaughter in the 2021 shooting death of Charles Sharp III, who had called 911. His case remains unresolved.
Reporter Chris Sheldon contributed to this report.
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