NJ Attorney General releases video of Hillsborough man killed in police shooting
A video and audio recording of the fatal police-involved shooting of a Hillsborough man last fall was released Monday by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.
During the six-minute recording of the Sept. 28, 2021, incident at the Piedmont Path home of Patrick Chin, 43, police are repeatedly heard telling Chin to "drop the knife."
The video recording only shows the view from the patrol vehicle, but the audio captures what the officers said inside the home.
There is no body camera footage or other video footage that captures the actual shooting, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Police are heard announcing "Hillsborough police" after entering the house and learning Chin's car was in the garage and he was downstairs.
Police ask Chin to open the door, come out and drop the weapon. "Come out, buddy," a police officer said.
Chin is repeatedly told by officers to "drop it," referring to the weapon.
"I understand you are going through something, but Patrick drop it," one officer is heard saying.
Officers are heard screaming at Chin to "drop it" and "get on the ground."
"Drop the knife," one officer is heard saying before more officers are heard screaming at Chin to "drop it" before police are heard saying shots have been fired and a person is down.
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The shooting remains under investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
The recordings were released in response to a public records request and following policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 to promote transparent investigation of fatal police encounters.
Investigators have met with Chin’s family to review the video recording, the Attorney General’s Office said.
A preliminary investigation indicates uniformed Hillsborough police officers responded to Chin’s Piedmont Path home around 4:10 p.m. on Sept. 28, 2021, in response to a request that the police check on Chin's welfare, according to the Attorney General's Office.
When officers arrived, they encountered Chin inside the home, holding a 3-foot-long sword, according to the Attorney General's Office. During the encounter, Officer George Kokinakous fired his service weapon, fatally wounding Chin.
Officers and medical personnel rendered first aid to Chin, who was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:28 p.m., the Attorney General's Office said.
The four other Hillsborough officers who were at the scene at the time of the shooting have been identified as Robert Feriello, Thomas Gurba, Kyle Edmonds and Dylan Ely. Feriello deployed OC spray at Chin during the incident, according to the Attorney General's Office.
The investigation is ongoing. and no further information was released Monday.
The police-involved fatal shooting of Chin is one of two in Hillsborough in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Christopher Michaels fatally shot Joshua Mathis, 19, who was advancing toward the officer with a large knife at an apartment on Corporal Langon Way, off Amwell Road, according to the Attorney General's Office.
That shooting also remains under investigation.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Hillsborough NJ police shooting: Video released by Attorney General
