Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) New Jersey State Lodge President Robert W. Fox is requesting FOP's legislative partners amend current statutes to ensure County Prosecutors have the necessary discretion to prosecute juveniles as adults for capital offenses. Under the current law, the restrictions do not allow juveniles under the age of 15 to be prosecuted as an adult for any offense. This proposal would eliminate this age restriction and allow the Prosecutors to charge juveniles as adults, under the oversight of our judiciary.

The Fraternal Order of Police demands that our communities be kept safe, and part of that safety would be to give Prosecutors throughout the State of New Jersey the discretion to prosecute juveniles as adults in situations where the breadth of the crime would justify such prosecution. We look forward to working with our legislative partners to ensure our communities are safe and those who perpetrate the most serious offenses are prosecuted accordingly.

Robert W. Fox

President

Fraternal Order of Police New Jersey State Lodge

By way of context, from ABC News:

NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Officials are searching for answers in Newark after two police officers were shot.

It happened just after 6:30 p.m. in the area of Broadway and Carteret, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirms.

One after another, Newark Police cars raced to the scene trying to desperately rush two officers to the hospital. Both officers had just been shot, and those who lived nearby heard a barrage of bullets.

"There was 10 shots, I want to say. I want to say the whole clip basically," said Andrea Perez, "I just hear the gunshots and I thought it was fireworks, because people are always doing their fireworks, and then I saw a bunch of police come."

Police locked down the intersection in the area of Carteret and Broadway. The investigation appeared centered between a McDonald's and a White Castle. A backpack appeared to be part of the evidence.

Officers gathered at University Hospital. Sources tell Eyewitness News one of the officers died. Sources say, the suspected shooter, just 14 years old, was taken into custody along with multiple suspects.

The shooting sent shockwaves through the community.

"We're only a few blocks where major stuff be going on," said Brenda Carden.