Mercer Times

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) have announced that four individuals have pleaded guilty in connection with a 2020 shooting incident involving a New Jersey State Police detective at a mobile home park in Salem County.

Markese Rogers, Ashley Acevedo Diaz, Shakeem Waters, and Noel Lazu entered their guilty pleas during pretrial conferences before New Jersey Superior Court Judge Russell A. DePersia at the Salem County Courthouse. The charges relate to events surrounding the shooting of NJSP Detective Richard Hershey at Harding Woods mobile home park in Pittsgrove.

As part of plea agreements with OPIA, Rogers, Waters, and Lazu admitted to conspiracy to commit aggravated assault (3rd degree), while Acevedo Diaz pleaded guilty to riot (3rd degree). According to their plea allocution, they traveled as part of a group intending violence, knowing that Acevedo-Diaz possessed a deadly weapon. Sentencing recommendations include five years for Rogers, three years for Lazu, nine months time served with probation for Acevedo Diaz, and ten months time served with probation for Waters.

"The plot by several of these defendants to commit violence led to a member of the New Jersey State Police nearly being killed," stated Attorney General Platkin. "Detective Hershey’s courage under fire was extraordinary."

Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA added: "Thanks to our career prosecutors and law enforcement partners, these defendants have been held accountable."

Court documents reveal that on April 25, 2020, Detective Hershey was shot while investigating a home invasion where a woman had been assaulted at Harding Woods. Five suspects were involved in this initial crime.

Later that night, Detective Hershey encountered a hostile group intending further violence against the victim's family member. Despite identifying himself as law enforcement and issuing commands to control the situation, he was fired upon by Tremaine Hadden and others from Bridgeton. Over twelve shots were fired at him; he returned fire despite being critically wounded.

Hadden has since been convicted and sentenced to 37 years in prison. Hutchings received 13 years after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon; Warner was sentenced to seven years for aggravated assault.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Erik Daab alongside Deputy Attorneys General Nicole Wise, Jennifer Davis, Abigail R. Holmes and other trial assistants.

The investigation involved multiple units within NJSP along with assistance from federal agencies including the U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force.