Trooper Kissinger Barreau remains on active duty as the investigation continues, authorities said.
SPARTA -- More than three months after an off-duty state trooper shot at a vehicle occupied by three teens, the trooper remains on active duty as the investigation into the shooting continues, authorities said.
Kissinger Barreau, of Sparta, came out of his house early July 26 after teens banged on his door, proceeded to follow them as they fled into their car and then shot at the vehicle after stepping out into the street in an unsuccessful attempt to stop them from driving away, the Attorney General's Office has said. No one was hurt in the shooting, though one shot struck a tire, eventually disabling the car.
Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, told NJ Advance Media Wednesday the investigation was still ongoing and that the case hasn't been presented to a grand jury at this time. Barreau remains on active duty, a spokesman for the State Police confirmed.
Barreau told investigators he had believed the teens were invaders and that he identified himself as a trooper before pursuing them. According to the AG's office, the teens mistook Barreau's home for that of a friend.
Jesse Barkhorn, an 18-year-old who was a passenger in the car, previously told NJ Advance Media the trooper never identified himself. He also said the driver of the vehicle had to turn around and maneuver around other vehicles in order to get out of the Whispering Wood Lane cul-de-sac.
Based on questions asked by police when he was detained for several hours after, Barkhorn has said he got the impression authorities wanted to know if the teens swerved the car toward Barreau.
"That's the exact opposite of what we were trying to do. We were just scared and trying to get out of there with our lives," Barkhorn previously said.
http://www.nj.com/sussex-county/index.ssf/2015/08/castle_stand-your-ground_sparta_trooper_teens.html
In audio recordings of police scanner communications that night, an officer says Barreau told officers "they almost ran him over."
The AG's office has only said Barreau was in the street trying to stop the car -- not that it nearly hit him or even that he made a claim it did.
Two ex-county prosecutors -- former Union prosecutor Theodore Romankow and former Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi -- previously told NJ Advance Media Barreau's actions might have been justified if he thought the car was trying to hit him. Short of the threat of deadly force, neither ex-prosecutor could see a justification for the trooper's actions based on their review of media reports on the incident.
Reporting by Lou Hochman was used in this article.
Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.