May 31, 2020

We have hundreds more photos to share and will be updated again tomorrow with more.

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)—A Black Lives Matter protest earlier this afternoon turned into violence as the sun set and protesters turned rioters burning police cars, buildings, smashed windows, looted stores and clashed with police. Numerous mutual aid police were called from neighboring towns all over Mercer County, Middlesex County and Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

During a 10:30 pm press conference held at Trenton Fire Headquarters on Perry Street, Mayor W. Reed Gusciora said, “Today, a similar protest started (yesterday’s protest here) and was also by enlarge peaceful until the evening hours descended and the crowd  which was many were from out of town, some were from in town decided that their productivity would be by starting to loot stores on West State Street. I don’t believe in taking looting a sneaker store, a liquor store really is productive or keeps the discussion going.”

“We need so many things that we need to focus on here in this city whether it would be economic development or creating a better city and moving it forward, this sends us backwards. Sends the wrong message and I understand that there is anger across America, from NY to Philadelphia to Los Angeles and we’re no different.’

“We urge everyone to adhere to the curfew we want the city open soon as possible, but this sets us backwards”

The mayor thanked Trenton Police Department working in conjunction with the NJ State Police, Mercer County Sherriff’s Office, Hamilton Township Police, Hopewell Township Police, Lawrenceville, Princeton, Robbinsville, Highstown, some from Burlington, Falls Township, PA, (more have responded not on this list as far as Middlesex County tonight)

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Photos by: Brian McCarthy OnScene News

Trenton police cars burning in the city after protesters turned into rioters:

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Looting at the CVS in 1200 Block of Greenwood Avenue just as the Mayor finished the press conference, this was at 11:14 pm:

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Large police presence in the 1700 Block of Nottingham Way in Hamilton Township. Police were lining driveways to stores both sides of the roadway not just the shopping center.

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Trenton Press Conference on violence and looting in the city during the protest today:

May 31, 2020

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–A peaceful Black Lives Matter at the NJ State Capital turned violent around dark. The protest started at 3 pm on West State street at the Capitol Building then was a march up East State to Broad Street, Lafayette to Barracks and back to the Capitol Building. The protest at the Capital included Trenton leaders denouncing any violence in Trenton and told them “Trenton is better than that” After about an hour the protest continued back onto West State to East State Street and ended up at the Trenton Police Station. Around dark violence and looting started, fires have been started and police cars burned.

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Updating as it happens check back:

Currently Trenton Fire Department is battling a “all hands” fire at the Family Dollar in the 100 Block of East State Street.

Reports of two Trenton police cars on fire.

Hamilton Township Police and NJ State Police are on scene mutual aid to the City of Trenton.

Mutual aid fire departments including Hamilton staging at the Trenton border.

Looting at Tony’s Liquor store 30 individuals reported from NJSP Helicopter Montgomery and Broad Street.

Individuals pouring gas on a commercial property with tenants on the 2nd floor TFD en route. 100 Block of East Hanover.

Numerous FD Departments responding and staging in Lawrence Twp for rapid response deployment in the city, including Hamilton and Robbinsville Township Fire Departments.

9:14 pm. 260 Block of North Willow Street pedestrian struck.

Mayor W. Reed Gusciora will hold a press conference with other law enforcement officials regarding the protest and looting in downtown Trenton at 10:30 p.m.

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May 30, 2020

Photos by: Brian McCarthy OnScene News

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Several groups including Black Lives Matter held a protest for George Floyd the man killed in police custody in Minneapolis, MN. at the NJ Statehouse this afternoon.

Other protests spread across the State today including “March On Route 9” we covered earlier in Freehold, NJ see story here.

Another protest in Trenton is scheduled tomorrow for 3 pm.

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May 30, 2020

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Last night, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 149, allowing the resumption of child care services, youth day camps, and organized sports. This Order rescinds the emergency child care program under Executive Order No. 110 as of June 15, and permits child care centers to resume normal operations on or after June 15, subject to their compliance with COVID-19-specific health and safety standards. Additionally, youth day camps can open on or after July 6, and must comply with COVID-19-specific health and safety standards. 

The Order also suspends the prohibition on individuals engaging in organized sporting activities as of June 22, provided that activities remain outdoors and are non-contact, and the Department of Health will issue health and safety standards for these activities. High school sports under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) may resume only in accordance with reopening protocols issued by NJSIAA, and cannot resume any earlier than June 30.

“My Administration has been steadfast in our commitment to let science, data, and facts guide New Jersey’s restart and recovery process,” said Governor Murphy. “In order to continue our momentum in restarting New Jersey’s economy, we must prepare our workforce to return to their jobs by ensuring a continuum of care for their children. Our child care centers, youth day camps, and organized sports will adhere to strict public health and safety protocols so that New Jerseyans can confidently participate in the restart and recovery process.” 

Child Care Services

• Effective 6:00 a.m. on June 15, 2020, child care centers and other child care facilities are permitted to resume operations for all clients, provided that they comply with the COVID-19 Child Care Standards and other applicable statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders.  
• Each child care center must submit an attestation to the Department of Children and Families no later than 24 hours prior to the anticipated opening date, or in the case of currently operating emergency child care centers, within fourteen days of the effective date of this Order, attesting that it will follow all applicable health and safety standards, as detailed in the COVID-19 Child Care Standards.  

Youth Day Camps

• Youth summer camps shall be permitted to operate on or after Monday, July 6, 2020, provided that they comply with the COVID-19 Child Care and Youth Summer Camp Standards and other applicable statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders.
• Youth summer camps that wish to operate on or after July 6, 2020, must submit an attestation to the Department of Health no later than 24 hours prior to the anticipated opening date, attesting that they will follow all applicable health and safety standards, as detailed in the COVID-19 Youth Summer Camp Standards.
• Residential and overnight camps are prohibited from operating.

Organized Sports

• Effective June 22, 2020, sporting activities, including organized sporting activities, are permitted in outdoor settings only, provided that they do not involve person-to-person contact or routinely entail individuals interacting within six feet of one another.  Any sporting activities that involve person-to-person contact or individuals routinely interacting in close proximity (within six feet of one another) will remain prohibited in any setting. 
• The Commissioner of the Department of Health shall impose health and safety standards regarding sporting activities before that date, and such activities must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Executive Orders, including restrictions on gatherings in place at the time the sporting activities occur.
• High school sporting activities under the jurisdiction of the NJSIAA may resume in accordance with reopening protocols issued by NJSIAA, which shall consider DOH guidance in issuing these protocols. However, these high school sporting activities cannot resume any earlier than June 30, 2020.

For a copy of Executive Order No. 149, click here.

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14th Person Killed This Year And Countless Others Wounded In Gunfire

May 30, 2020

Updated story from one posted early this morning here: BREAKING: Trenton Shootings Continue, Early Morning Shooting In Trenton

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is investigating a shooting death that occurred in Trenton early Saturday morning.  At approximately 12:15 a.m., Trenton police received calls for shots fired in 400 block of Garfield Avenue and a report of a man down.  Officers arrived on scene and located the victim lying on the sidewalk.  The victim was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.  The victim, identified as Tyrone Campbell, 45, of Trenton, suffered numerous gunshot wounds to his torso.  The investigation is ongoing.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the MCHTF at (609) 989-6406 or mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

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Gun violence and shootings reach epidemic proportions see recent stories here: (There has been a lot more gun violence and shootings but these are ones we have enough information to report on)

BREAKING: Trenton Shootings Continue, Early Morning Shooting In Trenton

BREAKING: Reported Another Shooting In Trenton As Gun Violence Plagues City

Trenton Man Dead From April 14th Shooting At Kingsbury Towers

Update: 25 Year Old Trenton Man Dead In PA Shooting At Holiday Inn Express

Large Crowd From Trenton, NJ Involved in PA Shooting At Holiday Inn Express

Developing Story: Trenton Shooting Victim From This Afternoon Identified

BREAKING: One Shot Dead; The Carnage Continues As Shootings Ravage City

Hamilton Teen Killed By Gun Violence In Trenton

BREAKING: Bloodbath In Trenton Continues, 1 Dead 1 Critical In Another Shooting

Bullets Continue To Fly, Three Hours After Mayor Releases Statement About Violence In The City

Trenton Mayor Gusciora Condemns Weekend Violence In City

BREAKING: Multiple Deaths From Daily Gun Violence That Plagues City

One Dead, Two Additional Victims In Another Trenton Shooting Last Night

Another Day Another Trenton Shooting

Developing Story: Shooting On Calhoun Street, Victim Driven By Personal Vehicle To Trauma Center

Breaking: 2 Shot at Kingsbury Towers In Trenton

Trenton Man Arrested in Hoffman Avenue Homicide

Trenton Mayor Gusciora And City Officials Address April 5th Violence

BREAKING NEWS: 3rd Multi-Shooting Tonight In Trenton

BREAKING NEWS: Another Shooting In Trenton Tonight

BREAKING NEWS: Shooting In Trenton One Possible Fatal And One Serious

BREAKING: Police Investigate Shooting On Trenton/Hamilton Border

More Trenton Shootings at this link

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Concerning Developments Following the Death of George Floyd

May 30, 2020

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Today, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrested Officer Derek Chauvin, taking an important first step in the search for justice following the tragic death of George Floyd. Like so many others, I was horrified by the footage of Mr. Floyd’s death, and I hope that law enforcement officials across the country continue to make clear that abusive police practices will not be tolerated.

Mr. Floyd’s death reminds us that our country has a long way to go not only in healing our nation’s racial divides, but also in addressing the systemic and implicit biases that prevent all Americans from equally securing our country’s great promises. Now more than ever, we must redouble our commitment to building trust between law enforcement and the people they serve, especially those from historically marginalized communities.

Here in New Jersey, we are absolutely committed to a criminal justice system that is fair, transparent, and free of bias. This past December, we rolled out a sweeping set of statewide policy reforms, known as the Excellence in Policing Initiative, to promote the culture of professionalism, accountability, and transparency that are hallmarks of New Jersey’s best law enforcement agencies. But we must do more, and we are committed to working with our partners in law enforcement and the broader community to identify additional opportunities for improvement.

Unfortunately, there remain occasions where an officer uses violent force against civilians without justification. We condemn such actions, not simply because they are wrong, but also because they do a disservice to the vast majority of law enforcement officers committed to upholding the highest standards of the profession.

We also prosecute such cases criminally and through the police disciplinary process. As Attorney General, I oversee the investigation of use-of-force cases in this State, a role that makes me particularly sensitive to the difficulties of investigating and prosecuting such cases. My role as Attorney General also prevents me from commenting on individual cases, even where the publicly available information is horrifying and the conduct at issue unconscionable.

The residents of New Jersey should rest assured that we will never tolerate the types of police practices that resulted in Mr. Floyd’s death. As part of our Excellence in Policing Initiative, we created new mechanisms for reporting allegations of police misconduct, including a standardized reporting form that must be offered by every police department in New Jersey. We take police-misconduct allegations seriously, and we are committed to ensuring justice and accountability for every resident of this state.

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See updated story here: UPDATE: Blood Continues To Spill In City Gun Violence As Another Man Killed By Multiple Gunshot Wounds

May 30, 2020

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Trenton Police, Trenton Fire and Trenton EMS all reasponded to the 400 Block of Garfield Avenue for a shooting at 12:20 am. Units reported a male shot and a trauma code was called as the person was transported to the Trauma Center at Capitol Health Regional Medical Center.

BREAKING NEWS: These are from unconfirmed reports. If and when official information is released this story will be updated.

The last shooting we know of on Garfield Avenue was on a bloody Sunday April 5, 2020 when multiple shootings throughout the city left 2 dead and 5 injured.

See related article here: Trenton Under Siege: 2 Dead And 5 Injured In Multiple Shootings Sunday

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May 29, 2020

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–As a human being, a son, an attorney, a municipal prosecutor, a state lawmaker, and the mayor of a racially diverse city that has played an integral role in shaping the American experience and the civil rights movement, I am outraged by the senseless death of Mr. George Floyd.

I believe that the police officers involved in this deadly incident, led by Derek Chauvin, should be indicted for their actions. I stand with the family of Mr. Floyd. I stand with the law enforcement officers and leadership across America who have condemned this egregious act. I wholeheartedly agree that it demands a complete examination by top investigators, including the FBI. 

Although I do not condone the violence and destruction that we’ve witnessed in Minneapolis, I empathize with the desperation and frustration fueling this response. Mr. Floyd’s death is provocative and shocking and a clear illustration of the widening rift between law enforcement and our communities — particularly communities of color and immigrants. 

In Trenton, where we are deeply proud of our culture and history, we are working hard to ensure that what is happening in the great city of Minneapolis does not spill over into our streets. Trenton Police Director Sheilah Coley, a 30-year veteran of law enforcement who leads the Trenton Police Department, is actively engaged in managing and deploying our hardworking police officers and personnel to control gang activity, violent crime, crimes against property, and financial crimes. The department’s community relations division is committed to strengthening police-community relations in all corners of our city, involving thought leaders and activists, community organizations and homeowners and renters. 

We stand in solidarity to seek justice for Mr. Floyd.

—Mayor W. Reed Gusciora

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