Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella provides the following additional information concerning the investigation into a police encounter in North Arlington, NJ on June 14, 2025. This investigation is being conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck.
On Saturday, June 14, 2025, at approximately 3:51 p.m., the Kearny Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Macfie, responded to a carjacking in the area of Belleville Turnpike in Kearny, NJ. Responding Kearny police officers determined that the victim, a ride-share driver, was transporting a fare along Belleville Turnpike near Kearny Avenue. The passenger, later identified as 42-year-old EMMANUEL ETIENNE of Bayonne, NJ, fired a handgun from the backseat of the vehicle in the direction of the driver during the ride. The bullet struck the interior of the vehicle, missing the driver. The ride-share driver exited the vehicle, and ETIENNE took possession of the car, fleeing the scene.
Within an hour, the stolen ride-share vehicle was located by law enforcement on Porete Avenue in North Arlington, NJ along with EMMANUEL ETIENNE operating it. During that encounter, the armed suspect was shot by law enforcement and transported to an area hospital. ETIENNE was treated for a gunshot injury and was discharged into police custody.
As a result of the investigation by the Kearny Police Department, EMMANUEL ETIENNE was charged with one count of first-degree attempted murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1/11-3A(1); one count of first-degree armed carjacking, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:15-2A(1); one count of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, in violation of N.J.S.A. 39-4D; and one count of third-degree possession of a firearm, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5B(1). ETIENNE was lodged at the Hudson County Correctional Center located in Kearny, NJ pending further court action.
The investigation into the police encounter in North Arlington is continuing, and no additional details are available for release.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges filed against the defendant by the Kearny Police Department are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Kearny Police Department and the North Arlington Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
