WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ – A pursuit that ran across state lines, starting in Pennsylvania and ending in New Jersey, ended with both the suspect and a police officer non-fatally shot.
Authorities say the suspect arrested had stolen a police vehicle and opened fire on police during the incident.
The manhunt for Arthur Henry Disanto Jr., according to sources, lasted several hours on Monday night, and came to an end just before 12 a.m. when a gun battle ensued between Disanto Jr. and officers in Washington Township. https://t.co/L2MKCUROmn pic.twitter.com/KwDD7IiaN3
— Katie Katro (@KatieKatro6abc) August 24, 2021
Authorities say the incident started in Delaware County, Pennsylvania when Pennsylvania troopers tried pulling over 41-year-old Arthur Henry Disanto, Jr. while he was on a motorcycle at about 7:00 p.m. on August 23rd.
Disanto was reportedly wanted by both the FBI and local authorities for a warrant related to a July 3rd attempted homicide for him allegedly shooting a woman in Media.
Instead of pulling over, authorities say that Disanto led troopers on a pursuit. Disanto was later spotted by a plainclothes officer in Folcroft who was driving an unmarked police SUV.
The officer in the unmarked SUV reportedly caught up with the suspect within the 8400 block of Lindbergh Boulevard in Southwest Philadelphia, where police say Disanto crashed his bike down and started firing at the officer.
As Disanto was firing, the officer from the unmarked SUV took cover behind his vehicle, which at this time, authorities say that Disanto jumped into the unmarked SUV and took off.
Disanto reportedly crossed state lines into New Jersey, where officials say he ditched the unmarked SUV near the intersection of Sunrise and Pennsylvania Avenue in Deptford.
SWAT gear had been reportedly taken from the vehicle once it was discovered, with authorities saying a helmet and bullet proof vest were stolen.
The stolen @FolcroftPD SUV was recovered in Deptford, NJ. Some of the windows were shot out as the officer used his SUV for cover when the gunmen opened fire in SW Phila. The suspect stole a bulletproof vest & SWAT gear before running into the woods. He’s still on the loose https://t.co/QE6V9dXOv7 pic.twitter.com/grnGKDvpnT
— Christie Ileto (@Christie_Ileto) August 24, 2021
A drone was deployed to search for Disanto, where he was reportedly spotted on a shed roof. Authorities say Disanto fled on foot before the final confrontation in Washington Township.
Authorities say that Disanto opened fire on police near the Washington Way Apartments on Barnsboro Road, and officers returned fire.
One officer was struck during the exchanged gunfire but is expected to fully recover. Authorities say that Disanto was also struck by an officer’s returned fire and is in stable condition at Cooper Hospital.
Outside of the charges stemming from the July 3rd attempted murder, Disanto has been charged with armed carjacking in relation to the stolen vehicle, fleeing and eluding. Additional charges connected to the incident are still pending.
In other cases stemming from New Jersey, a 20-year-old homicide suspect arrested for the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old high school was taken into custody earlier in August.
Yet, the suspect’s attorney is claiming there’s more to the fatal shooting – and says that his client was acting in self defense.
Here’s that previous from earlier in August.
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MAPLEWOOD, NJ – A 20-year-old male, who is reportedly an illegal immigrant, is accused of fatally shooting an 18-year-old high school student following some sort of altercation back in early June.
The accused’s public defender is claiming that the shooting could be construed as self-defense.
20-year-old accused of fatally shooting Maplewood student was defending younger brother, attorney says https://t.co/GvzGt3DHyM pic.twitter.com/1Nz7IZ1mLs
— njdotcom (@njdotcom) August 11, 2021
On August 5th, 20-year-old Yohan Hernandez was arrested and charged with murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose for the June 6th fatal shooting of Moussa Fofana.
The fatal shooting of Fofana reportedly occurred at the Underhill Sports Complex and was preceded by some sort of altercation where Fofana was allegedly among a group of individuals who were chasing Hernandez’s 16-year-old brother.
According to Sterling Kinsale, Hernandez’s public defender, claimed that Fofana was with two 17-year-old males who all chased Hernandez’s brother while he was riding a bicycle, with Fofana and the two others allegedly demanding that Hernandez’s brother hand over a bag that was in his possession.
A witness, not identified in court documents, who was reportedly with Fofana at the baseball field where the shooting occurred told detectives that they were chasing someone who was on a bicycle.
Court documents didn’t note whether the unnamed witness along with Fofana that evening detailed to police why they were pursuing Hernandez’s younger brother. However, the witness said that when the person on the bicycle went into the dugout on the field, they could hear gunshots ring out.
The unnamed witness did not see who fired the shots, according to reports.
Man arrested in fatal shooting of Maplewood high school student at field https://t.co/NXjkBK7XOX pic.twitter.com/rSv1K4QHJS
— njdotcom (@njdotcom) August 6, 2021
Hernandez reportedly waived his Miranda rights and gave detectives a statement regarding the incident, saying he was the shooter and was allegedly trying to protect himself and his brother that evening.
The accused claims that during that June 6th incident, his brother ran up to him saying he was being followed by two men. Hernandez’s younger brother then reportedly hid behind him, as two males began approaching them in the dugout.
Hernandez told investigators that one of the men tried punching him, which he then grabbed a firearm from someone only identified in court records as “Aleman” and fired the gun twice – striking one of the males.
After allegedly firing the gun twice, Hernandez told police that “he put a gun on a table and another individual who he could not recall, picked up the gun and continued shooting,” according to a statement from Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Austin Edwards.
The fallout of the shooting resulted in Fofana being killed and a 17-year-old who was non-fatally shot in the leg.
"My family felt a great sense of relief this afternoon upon learning of the arrest in the shooting death of our beloved son," Moussa Fofana's mother, Hawa Fofana, said. https://t.co/MgS061xive
— NorthJersey.com (@northjersey) August 6, 2021
During a detention hearing held on August 11th, Hernandez’s public defender claims that the evidence of the case points more toward a self-defense case:
“It may be questionable where the gun was retrieved from, but Mr. Hernandez used the gun to defend both he and his brother against individuals who [he] did not know – did not know what their purpose was – and who admitted in discovery as they gave statements to the state that they pursued these individuals with no clear purpose.”
A spokesperson for the Fofana family, Rosemary Ostmann, said that the victim’s mother is not interested in making any statements regarding the case against her son’s accused murderer:
“She really wants to focus on achieving justice for Moussa. Now that the arrest has been made, it’s really important to let the criminal justice system work…She just wants to see that process do its work.”
Hernandez is currently being held at the Essex County Jail, where an immigration detainer has been placed on him by ICE. His next scheduled court appearance is slated for September 13th.
New Jersey police officer fired for post referring to Black Lives Matter protesters as ‘terrorists’ who want dead cops
(Originally posted May 5th, 2021)
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, NJ– A police officer in New Jersey voiced her opinion about the Black Lives Matter protesters on her personal social media, calling them “terrorists”, and now she has been terminated for it.
Following the in-custody death of George Floyd, while riots were raging, and cops were the number one target, Hopewell Township Police Officer, Sara Erwin wrote on Facebook that Black Lives Matter protesters are “terrorists” who couldn’t care less if she dies.
Officer Erwin was terminated on Friday, April 30th, via a unanimous vote of the town committee, which accepted the recommendation of a hearing officer, NJ.com reported. Her attorney said that this decision was made because the decision makers are “pandering to the far left.”
NJ cop fired for post berating BLM protesters as 'terrorists' https://t.co/6tRv8PkQU4 pic.twitter.com/Fwr1kaZrUL
— New York Post (@nypost) May 4, 2021
A second officer, Sgt. Mandy Grey, was demoted and suspended for six months for replying to a comment on Erwin’s June 2020 post, their attorney Frank Crivelli told The New York Post on Tuesday, May 4th.
Crivelli spoke of Grey’s punishment, saying:
“The fact that she supported her position as a fellow officer, that was the reason that they actually suspended her,”
The New York Post reported that while writing under the username Sara Elizabeth on Facebook, Erwin said her children were crying for her not to go to work on June 8 — two weeks after George Floyd’s police-custody death in Minneapolis sparked heated protests nationwide.
Erwin’s post read in part:
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt the way I did last night,”
It went on to say:
“And then I watched people I know and others I care about going into harms way. I love police family like my own.”
In a very normal statement, Erwin then asked that people just “think” before posting certain things on social media.
The post continued by saying:
“I’ve seen so many black lives matter hashtags in these posts,”
Erwin then added:
“Just to let you know – they are terrorists. They hate me. They hate my uniform. They don’t care if I die.”
It was not just Grey who faced punishment for engaging with Erwin’s post, as the The Trentonian reported in June, six township employees, including five members of the police department were placed on leave following their support of Erwin’s post.
The now retired Hopewell Township Police Chief, Lance Maloney, declined to identify the employees at the time, but a source identified them as Grey, Detective Mark Panzano, Officers Erwin and John Ferner, dispatcher Gregory Peck and public works truck driver Steve Harbat.
According to the report, Erwin no longer wished to be “friends” with anyone who backed the Black Lives Matter organization and movement, and asked that they “unfriend” her. Panzano, Grey, Ferner, Peck and Harbat reportedly showed support for the post following this.
In February of 2019, the Hopewell Township Police Department shared the promotion of Grey to the rank of sergeant.
The post also states that Officer Panzano, received a letter of commendation for his actions during a house fire earlier that month.
Erwin’s post was investigated by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, but no criminal charges were filed. The township handled the discipline doled out Friday, NJ.com reported.
Erwin was hired by the department in 2001, while Grey had been employed since 1999. Both had “absolutely spotless records” with no internal affairs complaints prior to the Facebook post, Crivelli said.
Crivelli spoke of the Township’s decision, saying:
“They’re trying to make an example out of them, and in my view, they’re pandering to the far left,”
The New York Post reported that according to Crivelli, appeals in Superior Court citing First Amendment concerns on behalf of Erwin and Grey are underway. Erwin wants her job back, while Grey is seeking to have her rank restored and her six-month suspension rescinded.
Officers Panzano, Ferner, Peck and Township employee Harbat reportedly received written reprimands, but remain employed by the township.
Hopewell Township Police Director Robert Karmazin, who took over the department in November, provided a statement to The Post on Tuesday when they reached out for a comment.
The statement read:
“As the matter is in active litigation, the Hopewell Township Committee, the Hopewell Township Police Department and the Hopewell Township staff will have no further comment at this time,”
The Mayor of Hopewell Township, Julie Blake, declined to comment Monday, citing personnel confidentiality, NJ.com reported.
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