Troy Ruff, 22, of Newark, entered the plea through his attorney when he was arraigned before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler on charges related to the death of Rahmere Tullis
NEWARK -- A Newark man pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of striking and killing a three-year-old boy on Friday morning during a chase with Newark police.
Troy Ruff, 22, entered the plea through his attorney when he was arraigned before Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler on charges related to the death of Rahmere Tullis.
Wigler said the matter would be referred to the grand jury and maintained Ruff's bail at $500,000. Ruff remains in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility.
Family members of Tullis grew emotional after the brief court hearing.
"He run over a three-year-old baby, but he ain't guilty?" one woman said aloud outside the courtroom. "A three-year-old baby died and he's not guilty?"
MORE: Driver accused of killing Newark 3-year-old during police chase is charged
The fatal crash occurred around 7:40 a.m. when officers from the Newark Police Department's Fugitive Apprehension Team were attempting to apprehend Ruff, who was wanted on aggravated assault and weapons charges stemming from an incident in May, authorities said.
After the officers spotted Ruff driving a 2002 Hyundai Sonata, they attempted to pull him over, but Ruff continued driving, authorities said.
Ruff struck a car that was driving on 15th Avenue and then mounted a curb near the intersection with 7th Street, striking the 3-year-old as he was standing on the sidewalk with his mother, authorities said.
Tullis was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Ruff was immediately arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide and eluding police, authorities said.
Tullis' death and the police chase that proceeded it are now being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Task Force and Professional Standards Bureau, which routinely reviews all police pursuits.
Dozens gathered on Sunday, Sept. 13, to mourn the death of Rahmere Tullis, 3, who was killed Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 in Newark (Paul Milo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has called the incident "a crime against humanity."
"This tragedy touches us on so many levels and the loss of young Rahmere is felt in our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities and throughout Newark," Baraka said on Friday in a statement. "The way in which his life was taken is not just a crime against the laws of the land but a crime against humanity.
"The fact that this young child will never have the chance to sit in a high school assembly touches me as a father, an educator, and a member of this community. This child belonged to all of us and the City mourns with his family. All of Newark joins in grieving with and caring for the Tullis family in their hour of pain, now and in the future."
At a vigil held on Sunday for Tullis, attendees called for traffic-calming measures, such as a stop sign at the intersection or speed bumps on 15th Avenue, as well as greater caution on the part of the police during high-speed pursuits.
"We need the police," Minister Thomas Ellis, president of the Enough of the Violence Project and the organizer of Sunday's vigil, "but we don't need over-aggressive policing."
Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.