TRENTON, NJ – On Wednesday, convicted New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster’s killer was ordered released from prison. The decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court was slammed by local leaders.
“I am deeply disappointed that Sundiata Acoli, a man who murdered Trooper Werner Foerster in cold blood in 1973, will be released from prison,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “In 1996, Governor Whitman signed a law ensuring that anyone who murders an officer on duty will receive life in prison without the possibility of parole, and I profoundly wish this law had been in place when Acoli was sentenced in 1974. Our men and women in uniform are heroes, and anyone who would take the life of an officer on duty should remain behind bars until the end of their life.”
The top cop in New Jersey, State Police Superintendent Patrick Callahan said he was disappointed, but accepted the fact that the laws in place in 1974 are different than those today, which would have kept Sundiata behind bars.
“Upon hearing of the Supreme Court decision to release Sundiata Acoli, I immediately called Trooper Werner Foerster’s widow who is as devastated and disappointed by this decision as I am. Acoli’s release is not only an injustice for the Foerster family and the men and women who serve within the New Jersey State Police, but to every law enforcement officer in this country who dedicates their lives for the safety of the citizens we are sworn to protect.” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “Last Monday, 49 years ago to the day, Trooper Foerster was not given a second chance when he was murdered on the New Jersey Turnpike, leaving behind a widow and 3-year-old son. Under today’s law, Acoli would be in prison for life without the possibility of parole. While we cannot change the laws in place when this murder occurred, I was hopeful that understanding the risks law enforcement officers face on a daily basis would have helped to keep Acoli in prison for the remainder of his life.”
New Jersey Republican Senate leader Steven Oroho called the Supreme Court decision an outrageous mistake.
“The New Jersey Supreme Court made an outrageous mistake in granting parole to this notorious cop-killer,” said Oroho (R-24). “Sundiata Acoli murdered a New Jersey State Trooper and he should spend the rest of his life in jail, just like today’s law requires.”
Sundiata, a former member of the Black Panther Party was sentenced to life in prison when he and accomplices Assata Shakur and Zayd Shakur were pulled over by Trooper Foerster and Trooper James Harper for a speeding violation.
During the stop, the officers were attacked. In the aftermath, Trooper Foerster was shot twice in the head with his own gun and killed. Zayd Shakur was killed and Assata Shakur and Trooper Harper were both shot with non-life-threatening injuries.