Law would hike penalties for shooting police with defaced gun

Prosecutors could add a first-degree criminal charge against anyone who seriously injures a police officer with a defaced or stolen firearm if state lawmakers in Trenton adopt “Marc Anthony’s Law,” named for the 10-year Jersey City Police Department veteran who was shot in the face, and later died, after bursting into an apartment.

DiNardo was taken off life support and declared dead two days later after physicians at Jersey City Medical Center harvested his organs.

The gunman and his girlfriend were killed in the Reed Street shootout, and four other officers were injured.

The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee sent the measure to the full Assembly today.

Sponsored by Assemblyman Charles Mainor, the proposed law would make it a first degree crime to use a defaced or stolen firearm to cause serious bodily injury to a law enforcement officer, and a second degree crime to use a defaced or stolen firearm to cause bodily injury to a law enforcement officer.

Prison sentences are pretty much guaranteed with second-degree crimes but not always with those lower. This would become another charge that prosecutors could add in seeking longer terms.

It’s important to note that the measure also upgrades the charge for defacing a firearm to second degree from third and for acquiring or possessing one to third degree from fourth.

Fitting farewell:
The funeral for Jersey City Detective Marc Anthony DiNardo

“[Detective] DiNardo was a decorated officer. Just weeks before his death he helped save a woman who had jumped into the Hackensack River. He should have been readying to celebrate his 38th birthday, but instead his life was cut short by a stolen 12-gauge shotgun,” said Mainor (D-Hudson).

Assemblyman Charles Mainor

Mary DiNardo, who had three children with the fallen officer, sued the city and the police department for $10 million, accusing officials of not giving officers of the Emergency Services Unit the necessary training, equipment or leadership to storm an apartment where he was shot dead.

Jersey City officials admitted in the days after DiNardo was killed that the elite team didn't know who was on the other side of the door when they were ordered to force it open.

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