Trigger Warning: This story discusses police brutality, shooting injuries, and psychological trauma. Reader discretion is advised.
Justice delayed is justice denied – these lines sum up the very core of 42-year-old Jeffrey Sutton’s case. A black man who was shot at by New Jersey police way back in 2020. The police attempted to arrest Jeffrey on felony warrants in 2020. Cut to 2025, Jeffrey has sued the officials for lying, using excessive force, and conspiring against him, per The Jersey Vindicator.
Jeffrey Sutton has alleged that the police lied that he tried to ram the officials with his car while fleeing, which triggered them to fire at him.
Throughout the last five years, Jeffrey has maintained that he never hit the cops with his 2015 Mercedes-Benz during the incident that took place on November 9,2020. Per the police body cam, dash cam and witness cell phone video obtained by News12 New Jersey, Sutton’s statement was vindicated.
During an interview with The Jersey Vindicator, Sutton recalled the ordeal of the attack and pointing at his bullet scars, he said, “When I got out the car, I had a bullet hanging out here, here, and here. The bullets here and here — I took out the shell myself before I made it to the hospital.”
Sutton, who has filed a federal civil lawsuit against Bloomfield and its police department, recalled how the incident impacted his health. “My doctor told me that when they shot me here, it basically blew the nerves out the end. The nerves are shot. I can’t do much. I’m an HVAC technician, but working in this field … It’s like, how can I really work and pick up ducts and dealing with certain machinery and equipment with nerve damage,” he said.
Much of the healing is done but there is still a long way to go for Jeffrey Sutton. “I’ve been doing [physical therapy] at home, I’ve been going to doctors’ appointments and following up as much as I can but with my limited insurance, how much can I do,” he said.
Running the cops down was definitely not Jeffrey Sutton’s list of intentions. He clarified to the publication how things actually unfolded. “I had no reason to. I never did anything to law enforcement. Eluding? I may be guilty of doing that. But I never intended on pulling off on them officers … I never intended on having any altercation,” he said.
Sutton vividly described the scarring incident. He said, “I cut the car off, and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to jail’, but Peters (Deputy Chief Gary Peters) wouldn’t allow it … he was saying he was going to blow my head off, and if I keep fidgeting, if I reach for the door handle, he’s going to shoot. I didn’t know what to do.”
Suffering continues for Jeffrey Sutton, while one of the cops went on to get a promotion. Jeffrey mentioned that the incident severely impacted his mental health. During the media interaction, Sutton added, “Peters got promoted, and I’m sitting here suffering. It’s definitely taken a toll on me mentally … I never thought I’d get shot — not by a cop. I think about it every day.”
Signing off, Jeffrey said, “Every day I wake up at five or six o’clock, I think about it. Remembering how he took aim, I knew I wasn’t supposed to make it … I’m blessed to be here.”
