By C1 Staff
JERSEY CITY — The man accused of attempting to run down a correctional officer appeared in court today.
NJ.com reports that Shaheed F. Smith, 35, is charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, weapons offenses related to a Ford Explorer, and conspiracy to commit assault with his co-defendant David M. Calder, and driving while intoxicated.
Calder, 49, is charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy with Smith to commit an assault while a passenger was in the Explorer and obstructing a government function.
Corrections officer Yuri Ramirez was on his way to work when he saw the suspects’ vehicle go out of control, veer off the road way, strike a fence and come to rest on an island. He got out of his vehicle and went to help, but the driver of the SUV – Smith – attempted to strike him with the Explorer.
Ramirez opened fire to protect himself, and it was at that point the SUV stopped and the passengers fled.
Another corrections officer, Christian Rodriguez, saw the incident and assisted Ramirez in handcuffing Smith. Police arrived on the scene and took Smith and Calder into custody.
The incident is still under investigation; no one was reported to have been struck by gunfire, and it’s unclear if any bullets hit the SUV.
Both Ramirez and Rodriguez were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment; Ramirez didn’t suffer any significant injuries and Rodriguez only suffered minor injuries.