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Jaquan Harrison had been out of prison barely six weeks after serving six years for manslaughter when he was gunned down by Naszhere M. Jones, 22, at the corner of North 6th and Clinton streets shortly after 1:30 p.m. March 3, they said.
Harrison, 35, died of his wounds on March 7.
Jones was identified as the shooter, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said in a joint release with Paterson Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora and Old Bridge Police Chief Peter LoPresti.
She didn’t offer a possible motive.
Harrison had spent more than four years in state prison for aggravated assault and weapons offenses when authorities said he shot and killed Fernando Irby, 25, of Paterson at an after-hours club in December 2015.
He was returned to state prison in December 2017 after he was convicted for reckless manslaughter, records show.
A tragic irony followed: Harrison wasn’t due to be released until this September.
He was among hundreds of prisoners who got their sentences reduced because of COVID, however, and was released on Jan. 23, records show.
Forty-three days later, Harrison was dead.
At 7:30 a.m. Friday, members of U.S. Marshal’s Service Fugitive Task Force, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, Valdes’s office and Old Bridge police found Jones getting into his car outside a garden apartment complex off Route 9.
Jones ran when he saw them and was quickly taken into custody, Valdes said.
They found a gun with a high-capacity magazine, along with crack and heroin, in the car, she said.
Jones is charged with first degree murder, along with gun, drugs and ammo counts.
He remained held pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson. Valdes said her office will ask the judge to order Jones to remain held pending trial.
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