A New Jersey grand jury has declined to file criminal charges against Haddon Township police officer Luke Falkenberg following a fatal shooting on Nov. 3, 2024. The decision, announced by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, follows a review of body camera footage, ballistics reports, and autopsy results regarding the death of 46-year-old Keith Edelin.
The ruling, referred to as a “no bill,” means the grand jury found insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges against Falkenberg for the shooting of Edelin, a resident of Pennsauken, at an apartment complex in the Westmont section of Haddon Township. According to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the decision was reached after a comprehensive review of the evidence surrounding the confrontation.
Timeline of the Nov. 3 Confrontation
The incident began when Haddon Township police officers were dispatched to an apartment complex on West Crystal Lake Avenue following a report of a burglary in progress. According to police reports, responding officers discovered blood in the lobby and inside an elevator at the complex. Upon exiting the elevator, officers found additional bloodstains in a hallway, which led them to Keith Edelin inside a stairwell.
Police officials stated that Edelin was armed with a knife during the encounter. Body camera footage shows officers commanding Edelin to drop the weapon while simultaneously telling him they were there to help him. The encounter lasted approximately two minutes, during which police say Edelin refused to comply with orders to drop the knife.
According to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the situation escalated when Edelin advanced toward the officers. At that point, Officer Luke Falkenberg discharged his service weapon and struck Edelin. Investigators recovered a knife at the scene, and officials confirmed that neither Falkenberg nor the other officers present were injured during the incident.
Legal Review and Grand Jury Decision
The decision not to charge Officer Falkenberg came after the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office presented a series of evidentiary documents to the grand jury. This evidence included the ballistics report and the official autopsy results, alongside the body camera recordings of the two-minute confrontation in the stairwell.
Edelin was transported to a nearby hospital following the shooting but was pronounced dead approximately one hour later, according to official reports.
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