TRENTON, NJ – A state grand jury in New Jersey has decided not to file criminal charges following its investigation into the death of Hui Zhang, 33, of Pensacola, Florida, who Paterson Police Detective Victor Lora shot on October 10, 2022.
The Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) conducted the investigation into Mr. Zhang’s death, adhering to the procedures outlined in the Independent Prosecutor Directive of 2019 and the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by OPIA in July 2021. These procedures are designed to ensure neutral, objective presentations to the grand jury, along with transparency about the process.
The investigation encompassed witness interviews, analysis of photographs, surveillance footage, ballistics testing by the New Jersey State Police, and autopsy results. All gathered evidence, including video of the incident, was presented to the state grand jury. On November 13, 2023, the grand jury concluded its deliberations and voted “no bill,” indicating their decision that no criminal charges should be filed against Detective Lora.
Details of the incident reveal that on October 10, 2022, Mr. Zhang was involved in a series of events starting with him crashing into three cars in Paterson, followed by attempted carjackings while armed with what appeared to be a handgun, and ultimately firing the weapon. Detective Lora, who was off duty and in plain clothes at the time, engaged Mr. Zhang as he attempted another carjacking. When Mr. Zhang reportedly pointed the apparent handgun at Detective Lora, the officer responded by firing his weapon, resulting in Mr. Zhang’s death. It was later determined that Mr. Zhang’s weapon was a 9-mm P.A.K. Zoraki semiautomatic “blank” pistol, an imitation firearm.
In compliance with New Jersey law (P.L. 2019, c. 1), the Attorney General’s Office is mandated to investigate deaths occurring during encounters with law enforcement or while in custody. These investigations are presented to a grand jury to determine the necessity of an indictment. The grand jury receives instructions on various criminal offenses, including criminal homicide and legal justifications such as self-defense.