Man Charged In NJ State Trooper Shooting: Attorney General

PATERSON, NJ - A Paterson man was arrested in South Carolina Friday in connection with a shooting that hospitalized one New Jersey state trooper.

Jocquise R. Timmons, 28, of Paterson, was charged with two counts of first degree attempted murder, four counts of second and third degree aggravated assault, second degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and second degree unlawful possession of a weapon. Timmons was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and is awaiting extradition, NJ Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick J. Callahan announced Friday.

The shooting took place early Thursday morning around 1 a.m. near E 26th St and 9th Ave., in which Timmons opened fire on two on-duty New Jersey State Troopers in Paterson and hit one, state police said.

The bullets struck both patrol vehicles and struck one of the troopers in the leg. The injured trooper, whose name has not been released by state police, underwent surgery at Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center Thursday and is expected to make a full recovery, state police said.

“Each and every day our New Jersey Troopers put their lives on the line to keep New Jerseyans safe from gun violence, but yesterday one of our own fell victim to the very crime he was working to prevent,” Attorney General Platkin said in a statement. “It was only by luck that the defendant only succeeded in injuring one Trooper, who sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, but is expected to make a full recovery.”

The troopers were investigating an attempted break-in of a home on East 26th Street hours earlier when the shooting occurred, Platkin and Callahan said; Timmons was one of the suspects sought in the investigation.

Surveillance footage from a residential location in the area showed a figure, later identified as Timmons, stepping out from behind a parked vehicle and opening fire on the troopers, Platkin said.

“The brazen ambush attack on our troopers put their lives at risk as well as the lives of Paterson residents. The assault represents not just an attack on law enforcement, but an attack on humanity,” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “I applaud the efforts of our troopers, detectives, and law enforcement partners well beyond the borders of New Jersey for their relentless efforts in bringing Timmons to justice. We will continue in our efforts to ensure that everyone responsible for the attempted murder of a police officer will be held accountable for their actions.”

The attempted murder charge carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000, plus ineligibility for parole for 85 percent of the sentence imposed.

Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon charge also carries a mandatory period of parole ineligibility (one-third to one-half of the sentence imposed or three years, whichever is greater). Third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000.