A Ringwood New Jersey man has been charged with several crimes after being shot by a Wanaque police officer who responded to an alleged domestic violence incident involving the suspect.
The violent incident went down at 2:00 a.m. on July 12, 2016. The Wanaque Police Department sent officers to a Wanaque NJ residence after getting a call about a man brandishing a knife and threatening a woman at the home.
According to Passaic County prosecutors, the suspect became physical and violent with his girlfriend and tried to harm her with a knife. When two other individuals at the house tried to intervene and help the victim, the suspect allegedly threatened them too.
When Wanaque NJ cops showed up at the house, they saw the suspect holding a knife. According to law enforcement, the suspect threatened at least one of the Wanaque NJ police officers.
The violent incident ended when a Wanaque NJ police officer used his police-issued gun to shoot the suspect.
The suspect was later transported to a local hospital, where doctors provided him with urgent medical care for his gunshot wounds. Thankfully, nobody else at the residence suffered injuries as a result of the domestic violence incident.
The suspect is a 28-year-old man who lives in Ringwood, New Jersey. He now faces criminal charges for multiple domestic violence-related offenses, including aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and terroristic threats. The suspect also faces charges for aggravated assault, weapons offenses, and terroristic threats in connection with his alleged attack on the Wanaque police officer.
If the suspect is eventually convicted of aggravated assault, he could be subject to significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b), anyone who commits an assault against a police officer can be charged with a second degree felony. A conviction on second degree aggravated assault charges could lead to a sentence of 5-10 years in NJ State Prison.
The suspect is being held at the Passaic County Jail on a bail amount of $750,000.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Shooting Response Team is currently investigating the police shooting, which is standard procedure when a police officer discharges their firearm during an arrest.
For more information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “Man Shot by Cop during Wanaque Domestic Incident Facing Charges.”