In the early morning hours of May 13, 2016, a fatal encounter outside a bar in Union, New Jersey, resulted in the death of 37-year-old Michael Gaffney. Gaffney, a male resident of Piscataway and a construction worker, was at Paddy's Place on Rosemont Avenue when an altercation erupted between him and an off-duty Newark police officer, Joseph Macchia. The initial dispute escalated into a physical fight that briefly subsided when the two men were separated.
However, the conflict reignited for a second time.
During this second physical altercation, Macchia, an 11-year veteran of the Newark police force, drew his service weapon and fired multiple shots. Gaffney, who was unarmed, was struck by the gunfire and was pronounced dead at the scene. Friends and family of Gaffney contended that the officer had instigated the confrontation and only resorted to using his weapon when he was losing the fight. Following the shooting, Macchia was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The Union County Prosecutor's Office immediately launched an investigation into the deadly use of force by the off-duty officer.
The investigation led to Joseph Macchia's arrest, and a grand jury later indicted him on charges of reckless manslaughter. During the legal proceedings, it was revealed that the two men had engaged in two separate physical altercations before the shooting. In June 2018, a jury found Macchia guilty of reckless manslaughter in connection with Michael Gaffney's death. The former officer was subsequently sentenced to a term in state prison for his actions on that fatal night.
