Teen Suspect Expected to Be Charged as Adult in Fatal Shooting of N.J. Police Officer

A 14-year-old New Jersey boy is expected to be tried as an adult on a murder charge after allegedly fatally shooting a police officer last month, according to a federal prosecutor.

The teen, who has not been identified by authorities, is accused of killing Newark police detective Joseph Azcona, 26, during a shoot-out between police and a large group on March 7, authorities previously said during a press conference. 

Both Azcona and a second officer were shot. Azcona was pronounced dead after being brought to a hospital while the other officer was expected to recover, authorities said.

Authorities said the teenage suspect was also shot and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. They have since been charged with murder, attempted murder and illegal weapons possession, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stevens II has said.

In an interview with Fox News aired on Thursday, April 3, acting New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said she is working to charge the teen, who is alleged to be part of a gang, as an adult in federal court.

“He was going to go under the state, which meant he would’ve had a very low sentence if found guilty,” Habba told the news outlet.

The prosecutor added, “If you shoot a police officer, if you shoot anyone, I don’t care what your age is. If you’re part of a gang and you have a repeated history of crime you will be charged as an adult,” per the outlet.

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President Donald Trump appointed Habba as acting U.S. Attorney for the Garden State in late March. Habba, a New Jersey native, was among several lawyers who worked as part of Trump’s legal team.

Azcona was a five-year veteran of the Newark Police Department. He and the second officer were working as part of a team of detectives and federal agents investigating illegal weapons at the time of the shooting, authorities said.

Emanuel Miranda, Newark’s director of public safety, said at the press conference last month that Azcona “didn’t even get a chance to step out of the vehicle before he was struck.”