A 14-year-old New Jersey teen is being accused of gunning down two police officers, Detective Joseph Azcona and his unidentified partner, on March 7th. Shockingly, media reports now suggest that the shootout may have transpired after the youngster posted the murder weapon live on Instagram earlier in the day.
Early investigative reports suggest the teenager had made the online post in an attempt to scare an unidentified “rival”. Before posting the highly concerning video, the teenager left his home around 5:50 P.M. to meet his friends.
The teenager then went to a nearby White Castle restaurant. In the public space, the teen created the Instagram video with the ghost gun and uploaded it online.
Police who reviewed the social media post could see the weapon was equipped with a conversion device that would allow it to discharge multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger. This was extremely concerning for the police because the teenager had already been arrested multiple times despite his very young age.
He had already allegedly committed serious crimes, including a robbery. His social media posts were currently under intense monitoring due to an ongoing investigation being conducted with the help of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. When investigators saw the post in real time, they alerted officers and requested officers conduct a check on the suspect.
From there, Detective Joseph Azcona and his partner visited the location where the video was taken. They saw the suspect walking with a group of other kids and pulled over. The police exited the vehicle and identified themselves as police officers. According to the cops, the teen turned around and immediately started shooting.
Detective Azcona never fully got out of his vehicle before he was fatally struck by a bullet. The detective’s partner returned fire, but he was also struck with a bullet below his vest and extremely wounded. He was rushed to the hospital where he had to have his intestines and part of his liver removed. He recovered and was released from the hospital a few days later.
The teenager was also struck with two bullets – one on his arm and one in his leg. He is still in the hospital where he is recovering. Once he is well enough, he will face first- and second-degree murder.
Defending Yourself Against Shooting Charges
According to the suspect’s aunt, the teenager told her that he didn’t know the two men were police officers. She claims that the teenager would not have discharged his weapon if he knew it was the police, and he also allegedly stated that he feared the men were a shooter from the day before – the “rival” he was trying to intimidate online. The teenager also allegedly stated that the police were in an unmarked car, so he didn’t know who they were.
If you’ve recently been charged with a crime, then it’s important that you start to consider your defense strategy right away, like the teenager in this case. You’ll also likely want a lawyer’s help, though, to ensure you get a fair shot at defending yourself.
Schedule a phone call with our team of New York criminal defense attorneys now to learn more about your legal options and rights.
