A 22-year-old Newark resident was shot by a Newark police officer during a scary incident.
According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect had been wanted as a person of interest in connection with a robbery out of Elizabeth, NJ.
According to police, the suspect was part of a group of men walking on North 4th Street. At about 7:30 p.m., Newark police officers approached the group. Sometime thereafter, the suspect allegedly brandished a weapon and subsequently was shot in a non-life threatening area.
The suspect was transported to nearby University Hospital, where he is currently under police guard and in stable condition.
The suspect was later charged with aggravated assault, illegal possession of a handgun, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, and possession of hollow-point bullets.
The suspect is facing serious prison time if convicted of the charged crimes. Unlawful possession of a handgun is a crime specifically enumerated under the New Jersey Graves Act, which provides enhanced penalties, mandatory imprisonment, and extended periods of parole ineligibility for certain illegal gun offenses. If the suspect is charged with a second degree offense, the sentencing range will be 5–10 years in NJ State Prison, with a minimum of 3 years that must be served before he becomes eligible for parole.
For more information, read the NJ.com article entitled “Newark police involved in non-fatal shooting.”
