By: Richard L. Smith
An East Orange man who opened fire on two Newark police officers in 2022 has been sentenced to two decades behind bars.
According to Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, 33-year-old Kendall Howard was sentenced to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison after pleading guilty in March to first-degree attempted murder and multiple weapons offenses.
The charges stem from a violent encounter on November 1, 2022, when Newark Police Officers Johnny Aquino and Jabril Paul were dispatched to a parking lot behind 25 Van Velsor Place.
They were assisting in the search for a suspect wanted in connection to an earlier shooting.
Upon arrival, the officers approached Howard, who was carrying a bag they suspected contained a firearm used in the prior incident.
Authorities say that when officers ordered Howard to drop the bag, he opened fire.
Officer Aquino was struck in the upper right neck and shoulder. Officer Paul was shot multiple times in the leg during the exchange of gunfire that followed.
Howard fled the scene but was apprehended the next day in East Orange.
Both officers survived the shooting and have since recovered. The sentencing closes a high-profile case that rocked the Newark law enforcement community and led to an intensive manhunt.