GLEN RIDGE, NJ — On June 9, the Attorney General’s Office released video footage, a 9-1-1 call and radio communications that captured events surrounding a single-vehicle accident in Glen Ridge in which Gregory Dukes, 42, and Cecil Richardson, 47, both of Philadelphia, Pa., were fatally injured. The vehicle in which they were traveling accelerated away from Officer Michael Kupchack and Officer Brandon Taylor of the Montclair Township Police Department after an attempted motor vehicle stop on May 10. Todd Hill, 45, of Philadelphia, Pa., the driver of the vehicle, sustained injuries in the accident.
The fatal encounter remains under investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. The recordings were released pursuant to policies established by the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 that are designed to promote the fair, impartial and transparent investigation of fatal police encounters. Prior to releasing the recordings, investigators met with Dukes’ and Richardson’s relatives to review the recordings with them.
According to the preliminary investigation, the accident occurred shortly after 4:30 a.m. in the area of Bloomfield and Ridgewood avenues in Glen Ridge. Officers Kupchack and Taylor activated lights on their marked patrol vehicles in an attempt to stop the vehicle driven by Hill in connection with a robbery investigation. At that point, the vehicle sped off, traveling at speeds that reached in excess of 64 mph. Approximately 22 seconds later, and without coming into contact with another car, Hill lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway and struck a tree. Dukes and Richardson were pronounced deceased on scene.
Kupchack and Taylor exited their vehicles and located Hill near the car. Other officers arrived and rendered aid. Once an ambulance arrived, Hill was transported to University Hospital, admitted for treatment and later released.
The recordings are posted online at https://tinyurl.com/yeypzz7w.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.
About the Author
