James Ellis Grant, 25, allegedly crouched in a dark alley just before midnight on May 14, 2012, and shot at the SUV as it drove by, hitting it five times.
James Ellis Grant A jury could decide as early as tomorrow the fate of a Trenton man charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Trenton police SUV on Stuyvesant Avenue in 2012.
James Ellis Grant, 25, allegedly crouched in a dark alley just before midnight on May 14, 2012, and shot at the SUV as it drove by, hitting it five times. Officers Gene Palumbo and Mike Runyon were in the vehicle at the time but were not hit.
The shooting triggered an intensive investigation as police scoured the West Ward neighborhood for evidence and leads in the case for three weeks.
The jury began their deliberations today and tomorrow will hear back testimony given by three of the prosecutor’s witnesses. None of the witnesses has been identified for fear of retaliation. The youngest, who was 17 at the time, said he was standing behind Grant during the shooting.
“I seen him jump up, take a couple steps forward, his hands extend and I heard gunshots,” the witness said.
He is the only eyewitness to the shooting, and identified the gun as an M-1 carbine assault rifle, which is on the list of prohibited weapons in the state. No gun has been recovered.
The other two witnesses befriended Grant in jail and testified that Grant told them about the gun he used. One witness said Grant crouched down and demonstrated the stance he took when shooting at the police. The other witness said Grant moved the gun from outside of his house the day before police searched it.
Grant is charged with two counts of attempted murder — one each for Palumbo and Runyon — and several weapons charges.
Prosecutors have alleged Grant wanted to kill random police officers in retaliation for the death of Orenthia “Pookie” Upshur, a 20-year-old city man who died in a high-speed car accident after police attempted to follow him. Upshur was the brother of Grant’s girlfriend.
Deasia Clegg, Grant’s girlfriend, testified that the two men didn’t like each other and hadn’t spoken in months.
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