April 23, 2010 Corrections officer killed, wife shot in custody dispute www.privateofficer.com
Source:NJ.com — The manhunt for a suspect in the fatal shooting of a New Jersey Corrections Officer and wounding of his wife this morning ended this afternoon when police found the man in a Ewing Township cemetery and he committed suicide, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
Ralph Johnson, 60, of Hamilton, shot himself in the head as Ewing police officers, at the request of Hamilton authorities, arrived at the Ewingville Cemetery to search for Johnson, and he saw the police approach.
Johnson was rushed to Capital Health Regional Trauma Center (formerly known as Fuld Medical Center) and later was pronounced dead, authorities said.
Previous coverage:
• Mercer authorities expand search for Hamilton suspect in N.J. corrections officers shootings
• Manhunt for suspect in N.J. corrections officers shooting prompts school lockdowns
• N.J. corrections officer is killed, another wounded in apparent custody dispute in Hamilton
Johnson had been the subject of a county-wide manhunt as the suspect in the 5:30 a.m. shooting death of New Jersey Corrections Officer Laughfiel Nicholson Jr., 46, and the wounding of his wife Joann Nicholson, 48, who is also a corrections officer, authorities said.
Joann Nicholson was listed in stable condition late today, and family members said she was expected to fully recover from her wounds.
Johnson is Joann Nicholson’s ex-boyfriend and the two have a teenage daughter together. Prosecutors say Johnson had been involved in an ongoing family court dispute with his former wife. Their teenage daughter apparently called 911 after hearing the shots.
The victims were in a sport utility vehicle outside their Hamilton home, preparing to head to work in Trenton.
The cemetery where Johnson was found is approximately eight miles northeast of the shooting site on Parkinson Avenue in Hamilton. Hamilton police had asked Ewing officers to check the cemetery after receiving a tip that Johnson frequently visited it when he was upset.
Schools were locked down in neighborhoods along the Hamilton-Trenton border as police searched for Johnson today.
Authorities found 16 bullet casings at the scene of the shooting and Laughfiel Nicholson, and Joann Nicholson were shot multiple times, authorities said. Joanne Nicholson, a corrections officer for 15 years, was shot three times and remains hospitalized.
Nicholson Jr., who died shortly after the shooting, was a 10-year-veteran of the office
Tags: Joann Nicholson, Laughfiel Nicholson Jr, privateofficer.com, Ralph Johnson, security officer association, security officer training
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