CAMDEN, NJ – Camden County Police Chief Joseph Wysocki has announced the arrest of four suspects involved in a drive-by shooting in September at the home of two Camden police officers.
The suspects, Kobbie Johnson, 30, Julio Nieves, 19, Jeremiah McDonald, 18, and Jaqwa Styles, 19, are being held in the Camden County Jail.
Cops nabbed 4 men who shot up the home of 2 police officers in Camden, New Jersey — but say the suspects didn’t know cops lived at the house.https://t.co/dhTf16JgdB
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) October 6, 2020
They have each been charged with 3 counts of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose.
The suspects’ attack on the officers’ home occurred about 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The officers were on the second floor of their home with their 10-day old baby when 10 shots rang out. Six rounds struck the home, with two bullets passing through the front door.
Fortunately, neither the officers nor their newborn baby were injured in the shooting.
After the attack, authorities took a pointed, no-nonsense approach to the shooters and their apprehension.
Camden Mayor Frank Moran stated that the authorities would:
“. . .make sure that we bring these two [sic] individuals to face the law, and throw the book at them.”
Louis Cappelli Jr., Camden County Freeholder Director, announced to the shooters:
“We are coming to get you, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Wysocki stated after the shooting:
“Everyone is investigating this and helping us bring these thugs to justice.
“And we are going to catch them and we are going to bring them in.”
He said the capture of the shooters involved cooperation and coordination among several county, state and federal agencies, including the Camden County Police Department, Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, FBI, ATF, DEA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Marshals Task Force and the New Jersey State Police.
HAPPENING NOW: Camden County Police are asking for your help in capturing the person/s responsible for shooting up the home of 2 police officers, with their newborn inside. I’ll have the latest on the investigation on @CBSPhilly at 6. pic.twitter.com/JEnl5SzEzU
— Kimberly Davis CBS3 (@KimberlyDavisTV) September 17, 2020
Johnson was first to be located by police at a traffic stop two days after the incident, when he was noted to be driving a vehicle caught on security cameras at the time of the shooting.
McDonald was found Sept. 27 by police during an investigation of suspicious activity. The suspect was in possession of a Ruger 9mm handgun. The weapon was determined to match seven shell casings found at the scene of the attack on the police officers’ home.
Nieves and Styles, the two remaining suspects, were located “using video footage, geofencing records, and witness statements.”
The motive for the attack remains unclear.
Initially, Wysocki referred to the shooting as:
“a targeted attack against this residence and the officers inside.”
However, according to The Press of Atlantic City, Wysocki has now said:
“. . . investigators don’t believe the gunman or gunmen specifically targeted the officers or even realized they lived there.”
The Chief added:
“I believe they had the wrong house.”
Chief Wysocki says suspects likely “had the wrong house.”https://t.co/WIMMOFFVTT
— PhillyVoice (@thephillyvoice) October 6, 2020
News reports indicate that Camden currently has a pleasant relationship with local police.
Calling the concept of an attack on police “striking,” ABC News reported that “police have very good relations with residents” in Camden.
According to CBS News, neighbors of the officers find “comfort” living near police.
What has unfortunately been notable, however, is a recent uptick in violent crime in general in Camden.
Camden has experienced 20 homicides so far this year, compared with 21 in the same period as last year, but there has been a cluster of 12 homicides in the last six weeks, including the shooting death of 74-year-old grandmother Sheila Baskin.
Wysocki noted:
“The gun violence is at record levels that I have not seen since 2012.”
At a presser addressing the arrests of the four suspects, the Chief presented a plan for approaching the increase in violence that echoed the partnership with other agencies in the apprehension of the shooters.
Four Suspects arrested in connection with shooting outside of the homes of Camden County Police Officers. https://t.co/V6AsniCd0S
— The Tornado News (@TheTornadoNews) October 6, 2020
He said:
“Getting these particular individuals off the streets will be a benefit for our community, that said, we are addressing a sudden surge in violent crime.”
Wysocki added:
“We are focusing all our efforts now on gun violence in order to proactively suppress and eliminate violent crime.
“That’s why today we are starting a new partnership with the ATF, so agents can work hand in glove with our shooting response team officers.”
He concluded:
“We want to send a clear message to individuals that would even think about pulling a trigger — we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law and you will not terrorize our community.”
Camden has one approach to violent crime. Chicago apparently has another. Here is a previous report on that:
CHICAGO, IL –In the weeks and months after the death of George Floyd in police custody, areas under democrat control have seen a massive increase in civil unrest, violence, and rioting.
Chicago has seen their fair share of the violence and faced more after someone lied and said that police had shot a 15-year-old boy.
In reality, officers returned fire on an adult who shot at them first, but the truth does not matter, and the masses decided stealing and vandalizing property was the answer to their perceived wrongs.
Despite her recent calls for prosecution in these cases, she says no to any help from the National Guard.
The recent events still fresh in the mind of business owners still trying to clean up the damage and assess the amount of property stolen, Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Police Superintendent called on help from democrat Kim Foxx, the State Attorney, to file criminal charges on the arrests police officer’s made the night before.
For his argument, Brown said:
“Criminals took to the street with confidence there would be no consequences [for crimes].
We have to have consequences for the arrests Chicago police officers make. Not many of those cases [past protests] were prosecuted to the full extent. These looters, these thieves, these criminals being emboldened by (the lack) of consequences…emboldened to do more.”
Brown’s concern is not just the hundreds of people who showed up that night to cause chaos, but the lack of prosecution of the criminals who had been arrested for them in past protests and riots.
Foxx’s office refused to prosecute over 800 people who had been charged from earlier protests. This is something in which Brown feels will cause future protests and crime to grow.
On top of a lack of prosecution, there is also a fear that the crime wave will not stop, at least not with the current resources in play.
City Alderman Brian Hopkins, who was also at the incident claims he watched as the Chicago Police did not seem to have a plan on how to stop the looting.
He is concerned that there seemed to be no plan of action in place prior to the event and feels the city leaders should have learned from recent events. Hopkins then asked:
“The real question today is, where was the strategy? What was the decision making at the highest levels? That means the police superintendent and the mayor.”
Hopkins said:
“Literally, the future of Chicago hangs in the balance, I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that. If this continues, how can Chicago survive? What will be left downtown after Water Tower Place gets boarded up and the for-sale signs go up on all the condos near Michigan Avenue?”
Hopkins brings up a good point, when the good residents and business owners get fed up with constantly being victimized and they leave, how is the City of Chicago going to be able to fund their budget?
After all, how many times can a person be looted and still come back to the same place. It seems to be the definition of insanity, repeat the same thing over again and expect a different result.
At some point, people will decide to move where it is safe.
Lightfoot does not seem bothered with that thought process or with Hopkins. “Ald. Hopkins has a penchant for letting his mouth run before he actually gets the facts. I don’t think there’s any reason for me to say anything further, she said.”
Lightfoot continued:
“What we need now is not Monday morning quarterbacks and sideline critics. What we need is to come together as a city and have a united strategy and focus.” The problem is, her unified approach at a strategy simply is not working.
LET reported this month that crime has risen in Chicago with reports of shooting victims up to 45% higher than this time last year. Of the people who were shot, 222 of those were under 17.
There were also 30 children who have been shot and killed since the beginning of the year in Chicago, when only 19 died in 2019. Some of these victims were playing at their houses, walking down the street, or sitting in their car seats.
Since there seems to be no way for Lightfoot to reign in the violence that has been occurring and increasing under her rule, Republican Illinois House Leader Jim Durkin, is calling for the National Guard to step in and help.
Republican US Representative Darin LaHood called for the National Guard to come into Chicago and help bring the violence under control. LaHood tweeted:
“Criminals continue to loot & destroy property in Chicago with little consequence. The Governor, Mayor & Cook Co. State’s Attorney are failing to protect IL citizens & businesses. Utilize the National Guard. Accept federal support. Prosecute criminals. Restore the rule of law.”
Criminals continue to loot & destroy property in Chicago with little consequence. The Governor, Mayor & Cook Co. State’s Attorney are failing to protect IL citizens & businesses. Utilize the National Guard. Accept federal support. Prosecute criminals. Restore the rule of law.
— Darin LaHood (@RepLaHood) August 10, 2020
Lightfoot, according to Breitbart news, said in a press conference that the National Guard was not needed in Chicago.
She said that she and Governor JB Pritzker “believe this is not an incident that requires the National Guard…We do not need federal troops in Chicago.”
What we experienced this morning is not who we are.
We cannot let the actions of some destroy the fabric of our city and who we are as proud Chicagoans. pic.twitter.com/zK0acm1M1B
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) August 11, 2020
Lightfoot did do her best in telling people on her Twitter page that they needed to stop and obey the laws. She noted that she is working with CPD and her federal partners (clearly not the Guard) to stop the crime that has been occurring there.
Lightfoot warned that those who are identified through investigations will be arrested and prosecuted. One could wonder why she is coming out now in support of law enforcement and law and order….
