A New Jersey police sergeant will not be charged after he struck and killed a 44-year-old man in Waterford, NJ, last Thanksgiving.
A state grand jury has voted not to file any criminal charges against Sgt. Richard Sbarra, of the Waterford Township Police Department. in the death of Christofe “Christopher” Wita, 44, of Berlin, New Jersey.
Wita was fatally struck by a police vehicle driven Sbarra in the Atco section of Waterford, New Jersey, on November 23, 2023.
In a statement from New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, officials said that Wita's death was investigated by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability and presented to New Jersey residents serving on the grand jury in accordance with the Independent Prosecutor Directive of 2019.
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The investigation included witness interviews, radio transmissions, photographs, review of video footage, police reports, and autopsy results from the medical examiner, Platkin's office said.
After hearing the testimony and evidence, the grand jury concluded its deliberations on August 5, 2024, and voted “no bill,” meaning jurors concluded no criminal charges should be filed, officials said.
According to court documents, Sbarra was on duty, driving a department vehicle, when his vehicle struck Wita on White Horse Pike in Atco at about at 2:09 a.m. of Nov. 23, 2023.
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Officials said that, at the time, Wita was crossing Route 30 on foot in a poorly lit area and was not within a crosswalk when he was struck by Sbarra.
Sbarra was traveling less than the posted speed limit at the time of the accident and, officials said, police officers on scene rendered medical aid, but Wita was pronounced at 2:19 a.m.
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