Manchester Man Shoots Himself In Leg With Stolen Handgun: Prosecutor

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Whiting man is facing weapons charges after he shot himself in the leg with a handgun that turned out to be stolen, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Richard J. Rokicki, 58, has been charged with possession of stolen property, being a certain person not to possess a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and hindering his own apprehension after the incident that happened early Sunday, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Manchester police were called to Rokicki's home about 2:40 a.m. Sunday and found him with a gunshot wound to his leg, authorities said. He was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment.

Rokicki first told detectives from Manchester and the prosecutor's office that he had accidentally shot himself after asking to hold a friend's handgun, the prosecutor's office said. After he shot himself, the friend took the firearm and left, Rokicki told investigators, and gave a description of the friend and the friend's vehicle.

Authorities then executed a search warrant at Rokicki's home and found a handgun that been reported stolen in North Carolina, as well as a spent shell casing.

The investigation revealed that Rokicki had fabricated the story about the friend at his home, and that Rokicki was alone and had the stolen handgun, and had indeed shot himself by accident, the prosecutor's office said.

Rokicki was arrested later that day at his home after he was released from the hospital, authorities said. He is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.