Man Charged with Attempted Murder for Allegedly Shooting Undercover Cop During Botched Robbery in Garfield NJ
Three men accused of shooting an undercover police officer in Garfield New Jersey recently entered not guilty pleas in court.
The shooting occurred last year. According to authorities, the three suspects plotted to commit a robbery during an arranged drug sale in April 2014. The suspects reportedly showed up with a bag of oregano at a Marshalls department store in Garfield, NJ.
When the suspects saw the undercover cop, one of them approached his vehicle and demanded that he hand over cash. A violent struggle ensued, resulting in several other police officers running toward the vehicle.
At some point during the struggle, the suspect allegedly took out a handgun and shot the undercover officer. The officer sustained injuries to his hip and ankle.
After allegedly firing the gun, the suspect reportedly turned the weapon on the other police officers. The officers immediately responded and shot the suspect.
Thankfully, the officer did not die as a result of his gunshot wounds. Additionally, the suspect was wounded but survived his injuries as well.
The 26-year-old suspect was charged with first degree attempted murder. The other two suspects were charged with robbery and weapons offenses.
The suspects, who are from Garfield, Clifton, and Passaic, recently appeared in Bergen County Superior Court and entered not guilty pleas.
Now that the suspects have entered not guilty pleas, a status conference in the case has been scheduled for August 3.
The suspect charged with attempted murder is currently being held in New Jersey State Prison on a $2 million bail amount. According to authorities, he is being held in state prison because of a parole violation.
Meanwhile, the other two suspects are being held at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack NJ on separate $550,000 bail amounts.
To learn more about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “Three Plead Not Guilty in Attempted Robbery of Undercover Cop, Report Says.”