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Trenton Police Department

'Unconstitutional:' Feds Slam Trenton Police For Excessive Force, Illegal Stops 'Unconstitutional:' Feds Slam Trenton Police For Excessive Force, Illegal Stops
'Unconstitutional:' Feds Slam Trenton Police For Excessive Force, Illegal Stops Federal investigators have accused the Trenton Police Department (TPD) of widespread civil rights violations, including excessive force and illegal arrests, calling the department’s practices “unconstitutional” in a damning report released Thursday, Nov. 21. The Department of Justice (DOJ) found that TPD officers routinely stopped and searched individuals without reasonable suspicion, made arrests without probable cause, and escalated encounters with excessive force.  These practices, compounded by poor training, inadequate oversight, and a lack of accountability, have eroded community…
Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings
Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 25-year-old ex-con from Trenton who’s already served 2½ years in state prison is headed to federal prison for 16 more for a string of gunpoint carjackings and robberies. Joshua M. Perez was one of three armed robbers who commited a Oct. 10 carjacking, another on Dec. 5 and the robbery later than second night of a local gas station, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Surveillance cameras captured video of Perez and two other robbers emerging from a sedan, pointing handguns at occupants of another vehicle, Sellinger said. They then fled with money and cellphones in the victims…
Detective Found Justified In Shooting NJ Man Now Paralyzed For Life Detective Found Justified In Shooting NJ Man Now Paralyzed For Life
Detective Found Justified In Shooting NJ Man Now Paralyzed For Life A Mercer County Grand Jury found that police use of force was justified in the February 2022 shooting of a 29-year-old Trenton man that left him paralyzed, authorities announced. Jajuan Henderson had been accused of ramming a police car and other vehicles in an alleged attempt to flee from police on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, before Trenton Det. Michael Gettler opened fire, according to a release from the Union County Prosecutor's Office. The UCPO handled the investigation due to a conflict between Trenton police and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. The incident unfolded on Centre Str…
Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Man Faces Weapons Charge As Authorities Make Murder Arrest In Trenton Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Man Faces Weapons Charge As Authorities Make Murder Arrest In Trenton
Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Man Faces Weapons Charge As Authorities Make Murder Arrest In Trenton A 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting in Trenton last fall, and a man who was with him at the time was charged on a weapons offense, authorities said. Killed in the shooting was Chron Jenks, 34, of Ewing, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri. Trayvon Stokes, of Trenton, is charged with first-degree murder and multiple weapons offenses. Stokes was taken into custody Tuesday, Feb. 21 in Trenton.  A subsequent warranted search was made at Stokes' residence by members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, the Mercer&nb…
‘War Ready’: Armed NJ Heroin Dealer Sentenced To 19 Years Without Parole ‘War Ready’: Armed NJ Heroin Dealer Sentenced To 19 Years Without Parole
‘War Ready’: Armed NJ Heroin Dealer Sentenced To 19 Years Without Parole UPDATE: A New Jersey drug dealer who once served state prison time is headed to a federal penitentiary for a plea-bargained 19 years without parole. Jakir “Jak” Taylor, 32, was a key figure in an alliance of two violent rival gangs who once dominated the heroin trade on Trenton’s north and west side neighborhoods, authorities said. He's also the last of 26 defendants swept up in a joint law enforcement operation that smashed that operation. Taylor and conspirator Jerome Roberts collected heroin bricks by the hundreds from David “Papi” Antonio that were sold in individual bags, authorities …
Final Defendant In Trenton Police Car Firebombing Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen Final Defendant In Trenton Police Car Firebombing Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen
Final Defendant In Trenton Police Car Firebombing Gets 27 Months In Fed Pen UPDATE: A Trenton man who threw a makeshift Molotov cocktail into a city police vehicle following a protest was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. Kadeem A. Dockery, 31, is the last of four defendants sentenced in U.S. District Court in connection with the May 31, 2020 protest in Trenton. Video captured by surveillance cameras and personal cellphones helped authorities identify Dockery, who was arrested a little over two months later, and Killian F Melecio, 22, of Columbus, NJ. Rather than face trial, Dockery took a deal from the government, pleading guilty in May 2021 to attemptin…
FEDS: Getaway Minivan Driver Gets 12 Years, No Parole, For Armed Robbery Spree In NJ, PA FEDS: Getaway Minivan Driver Gets 12 Years, No Parole, For Armed Robbery Spree In NJ, PA
Feds: Getaway Minivan Driver Gets 12 Years, No Parole, For Armed Robbery Spree In NJ, PA UPDATE: The man who drove the getaway car -- actually a minivan -- in an armed robbery spree in New Jersey and Pennsylvania must spend the next 12 years in federal prison. Omar Feliciano-Estremera, 45, was the wheelman for a fellow Trentonian Gabriel Lopez, who authorities said fired a gun during one of the holdups. The pair committed the robberies at mostly convenience stores in Mercer and Union counties in New Jersey and in Bucks County, PA in May and June of 2019, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Lopez "entered the businesses, brandished a handgun, and demanded money from the sto…
Trenton Officers Arrested In Motel Incident: Report Trenton Officers Arrested In Motel Incident: Report
Trenton Officers Arrested In Motel Incident: Report A Mercer County sheriff’s officer and a Trenton detective were charged with assault after a physical altercation at a motel in Burlington County, NJ.com reports. A Pennsylvania man was also charged with simple assault following the Saturday, Aug. 20 fight at the Route 206 Best Western motel in Bordentown Township, the outlet reports citing police. Sheriff’s Officer Matt Sickler, 35, was checking in with Trenton detective Tara Dzurkoc, 45, when he reportedly started fighting with a 60-year-old Langhorne man. As a female hotel employee tried to break up the scuffle, Dzurkoc kicked her and yan…
Trenton Officer Threatened Pair During Incident At Public School: Authorities Trenton Officer Threatened Pair During Incident At Public School: Authorities
Trenton Officer Threatened Pair During Incident At Public School: Authorities A Trenton police officer has been suspended from the force after being charged with harassment for an incident at a public school in Hamilton, NJ Advance Media says citing the prosecutor's office. Rudy Lopez, 36, was issued a summons Friday, June 24. He apparently threatened two people at Lalor Elementary the morning of Wednesday, June 15, the outlet says citing authorities. Details were not released. Click here for more from NJ Advance Media.
Thousands In Cocaine Thrown Off 8th Floor Of Apartment In NJ Bust Involving PA Shooting Suspect Thousands In Cocaine Thrown Off 8th Floor Of Apartment In NJ Bust Involving PA Shooting Suspect
Thousands In Cocaine Thrown Off 8th Floor Of Apartment In NJ Bust Involving PA Shooting Suspect Thousands of dollars' worth of cocaine and guns were thrown from the eighth floor of a New Jersey apartment before it was recovered from the streets below during a drug investigation, leading to a slew of charges for two of the residents involved, including a PA shooting suspect using an alias, authorities said. A month-long investigation into the distribution of cocaine led detectives to the 600 block of West State Street in Trenton, where surveillance officers saw Jose Borges-Navarro open an eighth-floor window and throw two duffle bags out around 7:15 p.m. on Monday, June 13, Mercer Coun…
Trenton Man Ran Over, Killed GF In North Jersey: Prosecutor Trenton Man Ran Over, Killed GF In North Jersey: Prosecutor
Trenton Man Ran Over, Killed GF In North Jersey: Prosecutor A Trenton man was arrested for running over his girlfriend, killing her, last month in Union County, authorities said. Daaim J. Boykins, 40, is charged with first-degree murder a weapons offense in connection with the death of Schwnaire Jones, 36 of Willingboro, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Hillside Police Chief Vincent Ricciardi said. Hillside police responded to 41 King St., where Jones was found suffering critical injuries laying on the sidewalk around 9:30 p.m. Dec. 5, Ricciardi and Daniel said. She was subsequently pronounced dead, according to Union County Assis…
Alleged Getaway Driver In Shooting Death Of 16-Year-Old Trenton Boy Indicted Alleged Getaway Driver In Shooting Death Of 16-Year-Old Trenton Boy Indicted
Alleged Getaway Driver In Shooting Death Of 16-Year-Old Trenton Boy Indicted UPDATE: The accused getaway driver in the cold-blooded shooting death this summer of a 16-year-old Trenton boy and wounding of another has been indicted by a local grand jury. Keith N. Jordan, 30, is charged with first-degree counts of murder and attempted murders, as well as aggravated assault and weapons offenses, among other charges, for his role in the killing. An as-yet unidentified gunman shot Dione Ellis in the head in the the area of Prospect Street and Stuyvesant Avenue at 12:45 a.m. July 5, the nine-count indictment alleges. The youngster died at the scene, it says. A second…
Grand Jury: Trenton PD Had To Shoot To Stop Man Pointing Gun Grand Jury: Trenton PD Had To Shoot To Stop Man Pointing Gun
Grand Jury: Trenton PD Had To Shoot To Stop Man Pointing Gun Trenton police were justified in shooting a man who pointed an airsoft gun at them, a grand jury has found. Two separate 911 calls of a suicidal man threatening to harm himself came in to police on March 14, 2019, state Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck said. The responding officers were joined by two others who’d been called to the same North Olden Avenue more than four hours earlier, he said. “If you come in here, I’ll shoot you,” Jason Williams, 42, told the officers, Bruck said. “Concerned for Mr. Williams’ safety, officers opened the door to check on him,” the attorney general…
Final Defendant In Trenton Police Car Firebombing Takes Guilty Plea In Federal Court Final Defendant In Trenton Police Car Firebombing Takes Guilty Plea In Federal Court
Final Defendant In Trenton Police Car Firebombing Takes Guilty Plea In Federal Court A Trenton man admitted in federal court on Wednesday that he threw a makeshift Molotov cocktail into a city police vehicle following a protest last year. Video captured by surveillance cameras and personal cellphones helped authorities identify Kadeem A. Dockery, 29, and one of his co-defendants, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Rather than face trial, Dockery accepted a deal from the government, pleading guilty Wednesday to attempting to obstruct, impede, or interfere with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder. He still faces state charges of throwing another firebom…
Rioter Cops To Torching Trenton Police Cruiser After George Floyd Protest Rioter Cops To Torching Trenton Police Cruiser After George Floyd Protest
Rioter Cops To Torching Trenton Police Cruiser After George Floyd Protest A South Jersey man admitted in federal court Tuesday that he tried to set fire to a police cruiser during a video-recorded riot that broke out following a peaceful protest last spring in Trenton. Killian F. Melecio, 20, of Columbus told a U.S. District Court Judge in Trenton via videoconference that he stuffed a shirt he’d gotten from another man into the gas tank of the vehicle and tried to ignite it last May 31. The protest earlier that day in response to the death of George Floyd had been peaceful, authorities said. Violence later erupted as a mob spread down East State Street, smashing …
High-Speed Pursuit From PA To NJ: DEA Agent Struck, Dealer Caught With 7,500 Folds, Feds Say High-Speed Pursuit From PA To NJ: DEA Agent Struck, Dealer Caught With 7,500 Folds, Feds Say
High-Speed Pursuit From PA To NJ: DEA Agent Struck, Dealer Caught With 7,500 Folds, Feds Say A fleeing drug dealer hit a DEA agent with his car and tossed a bag filled with 7,500 heroin folds out the window during what became a high-speed chase from Pennsylvania to Mercer County, authorities said. Law enforcement officers from various agencies followed ex-con Daevon Bell, 26, of Hamilton Township from Trenton to an apartment complex in Morrisville, PA, on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Bell retrieved a bag from his trunk and went into one of the apartments there, then emerged carrying another bag, Carpenito said. When members of the law enforcement posse approached h…
BUSTED! Tattoos Help ID Men In Trenton Protest Firebombings, FBI Says BUSTED! Tattoos Help ID Men In Trenton Protest Firebombings, FBI Says
Busted! Tattoos Help ID Men In Trenton Protest Firebombings, FBI Says The FBI arrested two more Trenton protesters, one of whom threw a makeshift Molotov cocktail at police and tried to set fire to a patrol car with two accomplices during an attack captured on video, federal authorities said Thursday. Kadeem A. Dockery, 29, of Trenton, and Killian F. Melecio, 20, of Columbus were taken into custody Wednesday on federal charges thanks to their distinctive tattoos, which could be seen on social media posts and videos recorded by street cameras, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. They join a third man, Justin D. Spry, who was arrested by the FBI last month. Th…
Authorities: Leader, Members Of Notorious Trenton Gang Charged In Killing, Police Shooting Authorities: Leader, Members Of Notorious Trenton Gang Charged In Killing, Police Shooting
Authorities: Leader, Members Of Notorious Trenton Gang Charged In Killing, Police Shooting Members of a notorious Trenton gang who controlled a neighborhood drug trade executed a city man, tried to kill a police officer and shot at several other people over a period of several months, state authorities charged. Reputed gangleader Charles Willis, 27, and nine members of his “Get Money Boys” gang are charged with various counts that include murder, attempted murder and conspiracy, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. They were among 16 reputed members and associates of “Get Money Boys,” or “GMB,” who Grewal said sold heroin and cocaine in and around the Oakland Street Apar…