Suzanne Russell

@SRussellMyCJ

Soaries calling for stronger ties between police and the community

He plans to look into complaints about alleged police problems at the tip of Franklin and New Brunswick

FRANKLIN (Somerset) - The Rev. DeForest B. Soaries Jr. is considering seeking a federal investigation into the April 9 police shooting death of township resident Diahlo Grant, 27.

Soaries said he was in the process of deciding whether to call for a federal investigation shortly after giving the eulogy Monday for Grant at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, where Soaries is senior pastor.

In a meeting with members of the media, Soaries said he plans to consult with the Grant family's attorney and his own advisers in making the decision.

"As you well know, as recent as today in Cleveland, the police officers who shot the 12-year-old, they were not indicted by the grant jury, but in response to a federal lawsuit, they did have to settle with the family, it was announced today," Soaries said. "And there have been many instances when criminal charges did not stand but civil rights violations on the federal level were proven to be effective."

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"It could be true that were no criminal action, but there could in fact be a violation of civil rights," Soaries said.

Grant, a Franklin resident, was shot and wounded by police around 1:31 a.m. April 9 and later died at the hospital. Grant allegedly exchanged gunfire with police after he was pursued by two uniformed Franklin Township police offices who followed him across the Franklin border on Somerset Street into New Brunswick.

Grant was the father of six children, with another child on the way.

Soaries could not confirm reports that Grant was allegedly shot six times.

For Soaries, the heart of the issue relates to Grant being stopped.

"If it's 1:20 in the morning and you end up dead by police shooting, why did they stop you? What was the reason for the stop?" Soaries asked.

Police leaks

Soaries also remains concerned about police leaks related to Grant's alleged prior criminal history.

"Some of it was public information, some of it was not. Some of it was true, some of it was speculative," said Soaries, who declined to specify the alleged criminal conduct leaked by police. Some news stories have allegedly tied Grant to a previous shooting in Franklin as well as drugs.

Soaries said the prosecutor agreed that leaks have occurred.

"i'm more concerned that the leaks occurred than the (shooter's) name hasn't come out," said Soaries. "If the leaks were just general leaks, then it would have at least been a balanced leak. But the unbalanced nature of the leak suggests, like in other cases, anonymous law enforcement were leaking information to defend the reputation of law enforcement, which is unfair. So I would prefer no leaks at all and let the process play out as it should."

Since the April 9 shooting, Soaries said he has endorsed the integrity of the investigation, and said that he issued a statement offering prayers for Grant and the shooters. He said he also complimented the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office for agreeing to call in outside resources, such as the New Jersey State Police or FBI, if needed.

"I've urged people not to come to judgment, and there have been no protests, zero protests," Soaries said. "The fact that neither the Franklin police leadership nor the prosecutor's office could control their people and convince them it's not in their best interests to leak information, that's disappointing."

Soaries could not say when the investigation is expected to be concluded.

Building bonds between police, residents

In general, Soaries said there are good relations between police and the community.

"Just the fact that we've had such a calm, patient response to this incident is indicative of a historic relationship that has been more positive than negative. However, there has got to be more in-depth connections with police and law enforcement," he said.

Soaries said he is close to Franklin Township Police Chief Lawrence Roberts, but that relationship has to trickle down to the police on the street and in the neighborhoods.

"It's not enough for leaders to be close to leaders. The cops on the beat have to be able to connect with the brothers on the street. There are still too many young people in this community who either resent the cops, perceive that they are harassed by the cops or who fear the police," he said.

He said generally white people believe that if you don't do anything wrong, you don't fear the police. He said nationally that 70 percent of white people believe the police are fine. But 75 percent of black people believe that just because they are black, they should be concerned when police lights pull up behind them.

"We get anxiety when the police stop us, and that's a national problem that local officials have to take seriously," Soaries said.

He said there needs to be more in-depth training and more interaction between community residents and police so that there is a real relationship.

Soaries said no meeting has been held so far with any representatives from Black Lives Matter.

"What I try to teach the young people (is) you need protests when you think something is being swept under the rug and you bring public attention to it, or when the process seems to be going in a direction that needs some correction and you need public pressure," he said.

He said he's been around for a long time working with the community, so he's able to influence the process without protest.

Soaries said he expects to hear from Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey as the investigation winds down.

He also has met with Acting Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson to keep lines of communication open.

"I urged him to be proactive." Soaries said of Robertson.

After the Grant investigation is completed, Soaries said that he's looking to meet with Roberts and the two prosecutors to discuss building stronger ties between law enforcement and the community.

He said the Grant shooting has brought to light that there is an area at the tip of New Brunswick and Franklin where a cluster of people believe police are inappropriately aggressive.

"A lot of people have come forward and said they are not surprised by this," Soaries said. "I'm going to look further into that specific complaint."

Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com