Attempted Murder Conviction For NJ Man Who Tried To Shoot Montco Cop In Head

NORRISTOWN, PA — A South Jersey man who pointed a gun at the head of a Montgomery County, Pa. police officer and pulled the trigger last year has been convicted of attempted homicide and other offenses following a recent trial in Norristown, according to media reports.

Reynaldo Figueroa-Ardon, 21, of Vineland, N.J., was convicted of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, receiving stolen property, attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer, carrying firearms without a license, possession of a weapon and recklessly endangering another person relating to an incident in Whitemarsh Township back on March 10, 2021, the Mercury newspaper reported.

Court records did not yet appear to be updated for Figueroa-Ardon, but the Mercury reported that Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas M. DelRicci rendered the verdict after a recent nonjury trial.

On March 11, 2021, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office announced criminal charges against Figueroa-Ardon after authorities say he tried to shoot a Whitemarsh Township police officer in the head during an incident the previous morning at around 8 a.m. on Mulberry Lane in the Lafayette Hill section of Whitemarsh.

Police officers had been sent to the location for a report about a suspicious man walking up and down the street and checking to see if vehicles were unlocked.

When a Whitemarsh officer attempted to confront Figueroa-Ardon, the defendant pulled out a gun, pointed it at the officer's head, and pulled the trigger, but no shots were fired after the gun appeared to malfunction, the DA's Office stated.

The officer and Figueroa-Ardon ended up getting into a wrestling match, and Figueroa-Ardon was eventually handcuffed and taken into custody, according to prosecutors.

Detectives ultimately discovered that the handgun used in the incident had been stolen overnight from a parked vehicle in nearby Worcester Township, and that the owner of the vehicle had reported the gun stolen.

The gun had bullets in the magazine but not one in the chamber, which is why the gun didn't fire when Figueroa-Ardon attempted to shoot the police officer, the DA's Office stated.

"For a police officer, even a routine call can turn deadly in moments," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a previous statement at the time of the defendant's arrest. "All of us in law enforcement are feeling very blessed right now that the defendant wasn't able to rack a bullet into the chamber of the stolen gun before he pulled the trigger. Thankfully, the police officer went home to his family after this very dangerous incident."

The Mercury reported that the judge deferred sentencing in the case so that a background investigation can be completed, and to give Figueroa-Ardon time to undergo a mandatory psychiatric evaluation.

Figueroa-Ardon could possibly face up to decades in prison on the convictions. He is currently being held in custody at the county jail.

The Mercury also reported that an immigration check showed that Figueroa-Ardon's status in the United States prevented him from possessing a firearm.