NEWARK, N.J. — A man who authorities say “ambushed" and shot at two New Jersey state troopers as they responded to a reported home break-in, leaving one trooper wounded, was arrested Friday in South Carolina.
Jocquise R. Timmons, 28, of Paterson, is charged with two counts of attempted murder two weapons counts, and four counts of aggravated assault. It wasn't known if he has retained an attorney who could comment.
The charges stem from a shooting Thursday in Paterson. The troopers were driving in unmarked vehicles when shots rang out shortly before 1 a.m., striking both vehicles and leaving one trooper with a leg wound.
Timmons, who authorities said was a suspect in the home break-in, was captured on surveillance video stepping out from behind a parked vehicle. He then assumed a shooter's stance and opened fire on the troopers’ vehicles as they tried to follow a vehicle believed to be involved in the break-in, authorities said.
The troopers did not return fire on Timmons, and no other injuries were reported in the incident. Their names have not been released, and it wasn't clear if Timmons knew or suspected they were troopers or law enforcement officers.
A trooper on the scene applied a tourniquet to the wound trooper's leg, and he was taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery. He was released Friday afternoon and is expected to make a full recovery.
During a Friday afternoon news conference in Newark, New Jersey, authorities credited a national dragnet investigation that they said led them to Timmons, who was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service. Officials did not immediately release additional information about the operation, including where specifically the arrest took place.
