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CAMDEN MAN INDICTED ON ATTEMPTED MURDER AND OTHER CHARGES

Monday, 07 July 2008

Division of Criminal Justice                                        Deborah Gramiccioni, Acting Director For Immediate Release:                                        CAMDEN MAN INDICTED ON ATTEMPTED MURDER AND OTHER CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY FIRING AT STATE TROOPERS   TRENTON – Attorney General Anne Milgram and Acting Criminal Justice Director Deborah Gramiccioni announced that a Camden man was indicted today on a charge of attempted murder for allegedly firing a handgun at three State Police detectives last year. According to Gramiccioni, John Thomas-El, 27, of Camden, was indicted in a five-count state grand jury indictment on a first-degree charge of attempted murder, second-degree charges of aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree charges of resisting arrest and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, PCP.  He was charged in a separate indictment with possessing a weapon as a convicted felon, a second-degree offense. The charges stem from an investigation by the Attorney General’s Shooting Response Team into a shooting that occurred on July 24, 2007.  Thomas-El allegedly fired a .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun at three New Jersey State Police detectives, missing them.  One detective returned fire, hitting Thomas-El once in the arm.  Thomas-El was then arrested. The Shooting Response Team investigation determined that Detective Sgt. Mark Cunard and Detectives William Stolinski and Joseph Loschiavo, who were assigned to a strategic investigations unit, were detailed to a disturbance at 8th and Tulip streets about 10 p.m.   As they approached the intersection in an unmarked SUV, Thomas-El allegedly fired a handgun three times into the air. When the detectives, wearing State Police vests with police identifiers, exited the SUV and approached Thomas-El, yelling “State Police” and commanding him to stop, he fled. As Thomas-El continued to flee, he allegedly turned and fired one round at the detectives from the handgun. Cunard then fired his service weapon three times, striking Thomas-El once in the right bicep and stopping him.  The handgun was recovered in the area where Thomas-El fell. Thomas-El allegedly had in his possession a small amount of phencyclidine or PCP, an illegal hallucinogen.  He was named in the second indictment because it is a crime under New Jersey law for a felon convicted of certain crimes to possess a gun.  Thomas-El was convicted of burglary in 2007 in Camden County.   The case was presented to the state grand jury by Deputy Attorney General Jim Ruberton.  The investigation was conducted by Detective Sgt. Geoffrey Noble of the State Police Major Crime Unit and Detective Brian Graybill of the Division of Criminal Justice, who were assigned to the Shooting Response Team. First-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in state prison and a $200,000 fine, while second-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $150,000 fine. Third-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $15,000 fine. The indictments are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The indictments were handed up to Superior Court Judge Linda R. Feinberg in Mercer County, who assigned the cases to Camden County.  Copies of the indictments are linked to this release at www.njpublicsafety.com. Thomas-El remains in Camden County Jail in lieu of $125,000 bail. Under an Attorney General directive, the Attorney General’s Shooting Response Team, made up of Deputy Attorneys General and detectives from the Division of Criminal Justice and State Police Major Crime Unit, are dispatched to the scene of a shooting to conduct the investigation.  The Shooting Response Team also receives investigative and administrative support from county prosecutor’s offices.  The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office assisted in this investigation.

 

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