U.S. Marshals Service Captures Scranton Shooting Subject
The U.S. Marshals Service recently announced that its Fugitive Task Force arrested a suspect in a daylight shooting in Scranton, PA. Nyriq Johnson, 21, was at liberty for just one day before Deputy U.S. Marshals, task force officers, and members of the Scranton Police Department located and arrested him without incident. Johnson is charged with “criminal attempt, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, possession of prohibited firearms not to be carried without a license, simple assault and discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure.”
WNEP.com reported on the shooting, which occurred on Railroad Avenue around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 12. Neighbors stated they’d heard what sounded like an argument between two men, followed by gunfire. Property was damaged in the shooting, but no one was injured. Police, who were only a few blocks away, responded in seconds. They arrested one man on drug charges while the shooter fled on foot, possibly into the woods nearby. The shooter was described as tall and thin, in his 20s, wearing a camouflage jacket and jeans.
Mr. Johnson was wise to surrender peacefully rather than escalating the confrontation. Even though no one had been hurt in the previous shooting, Marshals and police had every reason to treat Johnson as a “violent offender.”
In cases like this, a criminal defense attorney can be very helpful in negotiating the terms under which a suspect will surrender to law enforcement. Suspects are often less concerned about the charges against them than they are about the possibility of violence by police who don’t trust they’re willing to come peacefully. A defense attorney can act as an intermediary. Depending on the attorney’s reputation for honest dealings with law enforcement, he or she might be allowed to escort the suspect alone to a police station for processing.
To learn how a reliable criminal defense attorney can help you, call the Law Offices of David Jay Glassman today at 215-563-7100 or contact our Philadelphia office online.