New Jersey suspect arrested after allegedly ambushing, shooting state trooper

A New Jersey suspect was arrested Friday after allegedly shooting two on-duty New Jersey State Troopers, wounding one of them.

Jocquise R. Timmons, 28, was arrested Friday in South Carolina by U.S. Marshals and is being held as he awaits extradition.

He is charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder, four counts of second and third-degree aggravated assault, one count of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon.

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“Each and every day our New Jersey Troopers put their lives on the line to keep New Jerseyans safe from gun violence, but yesterday one of our own fell victim to the very crime he was working to prevent,” Attorney General Platkin said at a news conference Friday afternoon. “Today, thanks to the tireless efforts of his colleagues, we announce the arrest of Jocquise Timmons, who is charged with the ambush and attempted murder of two New Jersey State Troopers as they performed their duty to protect and serve the residents of Paterson.”

Shortly before 1 a.m. on Thursday, Timmons ambushed and opened fire on two troopers driving unmarked vehicles in the area of East 26th Street and 9th Avenue in the city of Paterson. Both vehicles were struck by bullets, one of the troopers was shot in the leg.

The troopers were investigating an attempted break-in of a home on East 26th Street that occurred hours before the shooting. Timmons was one of the suspects in the attempted break-in. 

As the troopers were attempting to follow a vehicle they believed may have been involved in the attempted break-in, surveillance footage from a fixed residential location in the area of E 26th St and 9th Ave showed a figure later identified as Timmons jumping out from behind a parked vehicle and opening fire on the officers’ vehicles.

“The brazen ambush attack on our troopers put their lives at risk as well as the lives of Paterson residents. The assault represents not just an attack on law enforcement, but an attack on humanity,” Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said at the news conference. 

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“I applaud the efforts of our troopers, detectives, and law enforcement partners well beyond the borders of New Jersey for their relentless efforts in bringing Timmons to justice,” he continued. “We will continue in our efforts to ensure that everyone responsible for the attempted murder of a police officer will be held accountable for their actions.”

The injured State Trooper underwent surgery for his injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. The identity of the trooper has not been released for safety reasons.