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North Plainfield Police Department

Chief William Parenti

Press Release: January 20th, 2010

Police Chief Parenti announced that on Tuesday, January 19, at 11:15 pm. two adult male residents of Plainfield reported that as they sat in their car in the 10 block of Mountain Avenue a vehicle pulled up to them and discharged a firearm in their direction. The assailant vehicle then fled the scene.  The vehicle the victims were in was struck with several rounds.  One of the rounds passed through drivers door and struck Bashir Hawkins, 26 years of age on his left hip.  He and John Douglas, 29 years of age, both escaped serious injury. 

Several police units on patrol heard the report of the shots fired and immediately converged on the area.  The vehicle believed to have been used by at least three assailants was recovered a short distance away on Regent Street.  The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Forensics and Crime Scene Unit; the Somerset County Major Crimes Unit; and the North Plainfield Police Department Criminal Investigation Division all responded to assist in the investigation. The Manville Police Department and the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department sent K9 units to assist in a search for the suspects.  There have been no arrests at this time and the investigation is active and ongoing.    

Anyone with information is asked to contact the North Plainfield Police Department at (908) 769-2937; the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at (908) 575-3300; or the Somerset County Crime Stoppers TIPS line at 1-888-577-TIPS.