Grand jury makes decision on Cherry Hill officer's role in man's death

TRENTON - A state grand jury has cleared a Cherry Hill police officer who fired his weapon as a man shot and killed himself.

The grand jury determined the death of Joseph Bestic Jr., 63, resulted from a self-inflicted gunshot and not the use of force by police, the state Attorney General's Office said on Wednesday, Nov. 1.

The incident occurred on Oct. 11, 2022, when officers went to Bestic's home in response to a call from "a concerned citizen" about his well-being, according to an account from the law enforcement agency.

Physician faces home detention Drug crimes bring $1M fine for former Cherry Hill doctor, guilty plea for another MD

Bestic allowed the officers into his home on the 3000 block of Chapel Avenue, then "shortly thereafter ... produced a gun and shot himself," said the account.

A Cherry Hill officer, Jared Fox, "also fired his service weapon once, and the bullet grazed Mr. Bestic’s right arm, causing a superficial injury," it said.

Bestic was declared dead at the scene after the 2 p.m. incident.

Fox had been sworn in as a township probationary officer in February 2022, according to Cherry Hill's Facebook page.

The Attorney General's Office investigates all deaths that occur during encounters with police acting in an official capacity.

The probe into Bestic's death included witness interviews, as well as the review of photographs, videos and autopsy results.

After hearing testimony and evidence, the grand jury on Oct. 23 voted "no bill," meaning Fox would face no criminal charges, the Attorney General's Office said.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Joseph Bestic Jr. died during encounter with Cherry Hill police