Totowa man grazed by bullet in East 18th Street shooting
By Jayed Rahman
Published: May 18, 2015
The shooting that took place yesterday morning on East 18th and 17th Avenue resulted in a Totowa man sustaining graze wound to the back, said police director Jerry Jerry Speziale on Monday morning.
The victim, 44, intervened in a dispute involving three of his children, who were involved in an argument with other individuals in the city.
“This was a dispute between some kids from Totowa, three kids from Totowa, and some people from Paterson,” said police director Jerry Speziale.
It’s not clear how many others were involved in the dispute. It’s also not clear what the two groups were disputing over. “At this time it appears that the victim, a 44 year old male, was seated in his vehicle on East 18 Street near 17th Avenue when a large physical altercation ensued on the block, during which several gunshots were fired,” Patrick Murray, head of the Ceasefire Unit, said.
During the dispute a shot was fired at about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. The father was grazed in the buttocks by a bullet. “As the victim attempted to exit the area in his vehicle, he was grazed in the back by a projectile that entered the body of the vehicle,” Murray said.
The victim was transported to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center for treatment. After receiving treatment the father was released from the hospital the same day.
Speziale described the victim as “very lucky” and “extremely lucky,” for that gunshot could have done severe damage.
Jonathan Green contributed to this report.