OFFICE OF THE COUNTY PROSECUTOR

JENNIFER 
CUMBERLAND COUNTY PROSECUTOR
Harold B. Shapiro Richard E. Necelis

First Assistant Prosecutor Chief of Investigators
115 Vine Street
Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302
Telephone (856)453-0486
Fax (856)451-1507

June 1, 2017
PRESS RELEASE

CUMBERLAND COUNTY
OFFICE DETERMINES
VINELAND USE OF DEADLY FORCE
IN APRIL 17, 2016 POLICE SHOOTING
WAS LEGALLY JUSTIFIED

On April 17, 20.16, a Vineland Police Department Officer was involved in the fatal
shooting of Richard Bard, Jr. The incident occurred shortly after 1:00 am. at the corner
of South East Avenue and Montrose Street in Vineland, Cumberland County, New Jersey.

The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office and the New Jersey State Police
Crime Scene Unit investigated the incident. At the outset of the investigation, a
comprehensive conflicts inquiry was conducted to ensure that no actual or potential
conflict of interest existed for any of the Prosecutor's Office personnel assigned to the
investigation. The Prosecutor's Office investigation consisted of witness interviews, record
documentation, and collecting and analyzing forensic evidence; among the numerous

witnesses interviewed were police officers and citizen witnesses. As a result of the
I Page 1 of 4

investigation, specific findings were made concerning the factual circumstances of the
incident.

On April 16, 2016, Richard Bard ("Bard") and another individual attended a party
together at an apartment on Florence Avenue, Vineland. Sometime between 11:00 pm. and
12:00 am. Bard and the other individual left the party on foot.

While on routine traffic patrol a Vineland Police Department sergeant heard
four gunshots, which he called in to VPD dispatch at 12:58 am. Approximately two minutes
later a South Seventh Street resident called 911 and reported hearing gunshots. The resident
additionally reported observing two individuals, who he believed to be black males, assaulting
and robbing a Hispanic man. Police, including Officer No. 1, responded to the robbery scene.
When Officer No. 1 arrived, two other officers were speaking to two witnesses, who were
friends and co-workers of the robbery victim. The friends of the victim related to officers that
a few minutes before 1:00 am, the victim and his two friends left a restaurant on East Cherry
Street, just east of the intersection of Seventh and Cherry Streets. The victim?s two friends
left the restaurant in a pick-up truck. The victim rode his bicycle toward home on Seventh
Street. A short distance from the restaurant, two men wearing dark clothing assaulted him.
When the victim screamed, one of the assailants, later determined to be Bard, took out a gun
and pistol whipped the victim in the face and head. The other assailant searched through the
victim's pockets and stole a cell phone and a $115.00 money order. The victim's friends, who
had been following him and witnessed his assault, accelerated their truck toward the robbery
scene in an attempt to scare off the assailants. Bard fired multiple shots at the truck; both
assailants fled north toward Quince Street.

VPD officers were dispatched to the scene approximately four minutes after the

original report of shots fired. When the first officer arrived on scene, he stopped his vehicle

Page 2 of 4

and notified dispatch that he was out with two subjects at the corner of South East Avenue
and Almond Street, a distance of .04 miles from the South Seventh Street robbery scene.
The officer told the two men to stop, but they ignored his command and fled in different
directions.

The first pursuing officer ran after one suspect, west on Almond Street. This second
suspect ran between a former dry cleaning building and a row of bushes, and appeared to be
attempting to remove something from his waistband. The second suspect escaped, but was
located and arrested on April 19, 2016.

Officer No. 1, arrived on scene almost simultaneously, and saw Bard running
northbound in front of his patrol vehicle. Officer No. 1 immediately exited his vehicle and
pursued Bard on foot; Bard appeared to be using his right hand to secure something in his
right side waistband. Officer No. 1 did not immediately draw his duty weapon, but commanded
Bard to stop running and to show his hands. Officer No. 1 then drew his service weapon,
activated the gun?s flashlight and saw that Bard had a gun. Officer No. 1 yelled "Gun!" while
simultaneously ducking to avoid potential fire from Bard.

In a matter of four seconds, between 1:02:33 and 1:02:36 am, four shots were fired.
Bard fired first at Officer No. 1, barely missing the left side of Officer No. 1?s head. Officer
No. 1 returned two shots before Bard fired a second shot. One of the shots fired by Officer
No. 1 struck Bard, who fell along a fence line on the corner of South East Avenue and
Montrose Street. At 1:02:38 am, two seconds after the last shot, Officer No. 1 radioed:
"Shots fired! Shots fired! 1 got one down." A responding officer asked Bard if he had been
shot; Bard responded "Yeah". At 1:03:35 am, Officer No.1 asked Bard, in the presence of
responding officers, "Why did you shoot at me? You shot at me man.?

Approximately six minutes after the shooting EMS arrived at South East Avenue and

Montrose Street. They transported Bard to Inspire Hospital where he was pronounced dead

Page 3 of 4

at 2:05 am. The Medical Examiner performed the autopsy of Bard and determined the cause
of death to be a gunshot wound to the thigh.

Physical evidence recovered at the shooting scene and along Bard's escape route,
Montrose Streets, together with forensic analysis, connected Bard to the robbery at South
Seventh Street. Within feet of where Bard had fallen, officers recovered a silver Smith 
Wesson revolver. The revolver contained six empty spent shell casings. The investigation
determined that Bard had fired four shots from the revolver at the victim?s friends' pick-up
truck at the robbery scene and two additional shots at Officer No. 1 during the foot chase.
Forensic analysis confirmed the presence of the robbery victim?s DNA on the Smith Wesson
revolver. The physical evidence recovered and forensic analysis performed confirms that
Bard hit the robbery victim in the face and head with the revolver at the South Seventh Street
loca?on.

When arrested on April 19, 2016, the second suspect admitted that he was at the
Florence Avenue party with Bard and left between 11:00 pm. and 12:00 am.

Based upon legal principles involving the use of force in self-defense and the use of
force by law enforcement, the Prosecutor?s Office evaluated the facts and determined that
the police use of force under the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice was lawful and justified.

The Prosecutor's Office investigation was conducted in compliance with all relevant
provisions of the Supplemental Law Enforcement Directive issued by the Office of the New

Jersey Attorney General on July 28, 2015. 


ran/ 

Jei?nnlferW bb- McRae
Cymberla? County Prosecutor

 

FOR RELEASE

*lf this press release involves the charging, accusation or indictment of a criminal defendant, same is merely
an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Page 4 of 4