Real Garden State

New gun store opens in Jersey City

Attempt to disperse crowd filming arrest escalates in Jersey City

An apparent motor vehicle stop & arrest on Neptune Ave. in Jersey City, NJ, escalated after police officers ordered witnesses filming the situation to disperse. Tensions between cops and those congregating at the scene peaked when an officer attempts to detain a young man by his hair. Mayor Steven Fulop has not commented on today's event at this time. NOTE: This Real Garden State video stitches together multiple clips to capture as much of the incident as best as possible.

Protestors speak out on NJ’s Stay-at-Home order, Gov. Murphy responds

ICYMI: Yesterday, under the threat of arrest, dozens of protestors demonstrated their opposition to emergency executive orders issued by Gov. Phil Murphy to combat the coronavirus pandemic in New Jersey. After rallying at a Walmart in Hamilton, the caravan of protestors made their way to West State Street in Trenton for what they dubbed “Operation Gridlock” - honking car horns and chanting various slogans, some with megaphones, demanding Gov. Murphy reopen the Garden State. While some protestors were issued summonses, the apparent leader of the event, Kim Pagan of Toms River, was charged by the New Jersey State Police with violating the emergency orders by organizing a prohibited event. Watch the video below to hear directly from two anti-vaccine actvists that participated in the protest, Ayla Wolf and Stephanie Locricchio, and listen to Gov. Murphy’s response. WATCH STEPHANIE LOCRICCHIO LIVE VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.locricchio/videos/10220917416060447/ WATCH AYLA WOLF LIVE VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/AylaWolf13/videos/3002159986498763/

JCPD South District struck by bullets (12-23-2019)

Multiple shots were fired this evening on Wilkinson Ave. between MLK Drive and Bergen Ave, according to sources. Bullets from the gunfire apparently hit the facade of the Jersey City Police Department's South District precinct and Academy 1 Middle School, though, there is no known injuries at this time.

Video from attack on Jersey City Kosher Supermarket

CCTV footage caputres the attack on a Jewish supermarket at 223 MLK Dr. in Jersey City yesterday. According to the New York Times, an assailant involved in the prolonged firefight that left six people dead, including one police officer, had published anti-Semitic and anti-police posts online and investigators believe the attack was motivated by those sentiments, a law enforcement official familiar with the case said on Wednesday. READ MORE HERE: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/11/nyregion/jersey-city-shooting.html

Video captures sound of gunfire in Jersey City

Video captures sound of shootout in Jersey City.

JCPD responding to active shooter on MLK Dr.

VIDEO: Law enforcement officers responding to the scene of an active shooter in Jersey City. Please avoid the area of MLK & Bayview/Bidwell.

BREAKING: Active shooter situation in the area of MLK & Bayview/Bidwell in Jersey City.

Second video from Det. Cesar Celestino's off-duty shooting in Lincoln Park

This cell phone footage is from the immeadiate moments following the July 28, 2018, officer-involved shooting in Lincoln Park. In the video, then-17-year-old Carlos Martinez identifies himself as an MS-13 gang member during an encounter with JCPD Det. Cesar Celestino and challenges the officer to fight him. READ MORE ABOUT THE CASE HERE: https://www.realgardenstate.com/officer-involved-shooting-in-jersey-city-trial-begins-for-state-vs-dt-cesar-celestino/ WATCH BREAKDOWN OF CCTV FOOTAGE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMS54CIkDlk

JCPD cops get testy over 'Thirst Quencher'

Hoping these two officers can work out their differences and bring some unity to the JCPD.

#FBF: ‘Epiphany’ leads to late discovery & courtroom drama

#FBF: Despite ultimately ruling in the state's favor, the aggressive tone of First Deputy Assistant Prosecutor Peter Stoma and his repeated interruptions of Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mirtha Ospina evoked an emphatic response from the bench. The tense exchange happened after defense attorneys motioned for the The State of New Jersey vs Joseph Ascolese, Kelly Chesler, and Michael O’Neill to be dismissed, claiming it was part of a pattern of evidence violations and a byproduct of “farming out” the investigation to the JCPD Internal Affairs Unit (IAU). READ HERE: https://www.realjerseycity.com/epiphany-leads-to-late-discovery-courtroom-drama-but-judge-denies-motion-to-dismiss/ WATCH FULL VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuhPTKRXdtQ

Downtown man confronts "Open Air Preachers"

#JerseyCity: One resident living in Downtown apparently had enough of two "open air preachers" that were "spreading the Gospel of Christ" with a loudspeaker - not the first incident involving the producer of the video. Over the past few weeks, Yokas Boslarelli, producer of Our Current Realty, has been causing issues for the Jersey City Police Department as people have been complaining that his activity is disturbing the peace. Boslarelli contests that he has constitutional rights, is giving "Jesus Christ the glory He deserves," and describes the unidentified person in the video as a "Demon-possessed man." Did the unidentified man in the video go too far, or was he justified? How should the JCPD handle "open air preaching"?

'High School Hero' honored for life-saving actions by Jersey City Council

#JerseyCity: Christopher Drummond, a junior at Snyder High School, was honored by the city council tonight for helping to save a man's life at Audubon Park.

Remembering Army Pfc. LeRoy DeRonde III (7/18/1989 - 5/27/2012)

Seven years ago today, Army PFC Leroy DeRonde III was killed in action when his unit was attacked by enemy forces in the Chak-E Warkdak District of Afghanistan. DeRonde was “coming into his own, distancing himself from a hard-luck childhood and stepping up to take care of his family” when he died, according to a Star-Ledger report from June 2, 2012. Part of that hard-luck childhood included DeRonde’s mother dying of cancer in his early teens, which motivated him to join the military and take care of his family. "He realized he was going to put the family on his shoulders. The military was his calling to do that financially," DeRonde’s cousin, Jason Owen, told The Star Ledger outside the soldier’s family’s apartment on West Side Avenue at the time. "His life didn’t take hold until he was 22," said Owen, who noted DeRonde sent monthly checks home. "He was really taking the reins, he was ascending. The real tragedy here is from an upbringing that wasn’t so good he was working ... to help his family and to better himself." Furthermore, Owen told the Jersey Journal that "if he (DeRonde) had to write his own eulogy, I think he would say he took out insurgents," and added that "he'd be prideful, he knew the risk. He wanted combat and he was living his dream. Pride is the only word for it." According to a June 13, 2012, report from ABC’s affiliate station in El Paso, Texas, recalling the memories of his friend and fellow squad member was difficult for Spc. Luke Avila during a chapel ceremony remembering the lives of DeRonde and two other soldiers who were killed in action while deployed to Afghanistan. “There was no such word as quit in Private 1st Class LeRoy DeRonde, III’s vocabulary. He didn’t have an easy time growing up, but despite the loss of his mother at a young age, being placed in foster care, and dropping out of high school; he managed to overcome all the obstacles and more to do what he desired the most, which was helping his family,” said Avila. Avila a

'Jump4Jerry': A mother honors her son's legacy

Following the tragic death of her son Jeremiah "Prince" Grant, Kimberly Prince-Sylla founded the youth mentoring organization Jump4Jerry - which uses the sport of Double Dutch to expose children to great sportsmanship and teamwork. Through Jump4Jerry, Jeremiah's legacy lives on by giving other children the opportunity to build confidence, strong character, and to become active members of their community by helping others and giving back. Currently, the organization is fundraising to attend the International Double Dutch League Tournament of Champions at Lincoln University - the nation's first degree-granting HBCU - in Oxford, PA. If you'd like to help support the team make it to the tournmanent, please consider donating via PayPal (paypal.me/jump4jerry) or CashApp ($Jump4Jerry). #MothersDay #DoubleDutch #Jump4Jerry #JerseyCity #HudsonCounty #NewJersey #HBCU #Fundraiser

Gotta Go Gaming hosts Street Fighter Tournament

Be sure to check out Gotta Go Gaming LLC's free Street Fighter gaming tournament this Saturday at Columbia Park. The event - which is designed to fuse gaming and social awareness - will also include other video games, plus free face painting for kids. The tournament is hosted in conjunction with community organizations like the The Royal Men Foundation, BLESC (blacks in law enforcement serving the community), and the York Street Project.

Jersey City's Lewis Spears talks "From the Hood to Harvard"

Jersey City's Lewis Spears, an educator & activist, successfully released his first book - "You're The Answer To The Problem: From the Hood to Harvard and Back Again" - this past February. In an interview with Real Jersey City, Spears, who works as a Crisis Intervention Teacher at Dickinson High School, spoke about transitioning from Jersey City to Harvard and the message he wanted people to learn from the book. To purchase a copy, click here: https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Answer-Problem-Harvard-Again-ebook/dp/B07NRHDDFC

Uber driver ditches woman in Journal Square

ATTENTION Uber: Please, at the bare minimum, refund this woman the cancellation fee, then open an investigation into the incident. #JerseyCity #JournalSquare #HudsonCounty #NewJersey #uber #uberdriver

Community Policing in Jersey City (4/23/19)

This is what building trust and relationships with a community looks like. #JCPD #JerseyCity #JerseyCityPolice #HudsonCounty #JerseyCityPoliceDepartment #CommunityPolicing

Jersey City artist Crisis looks to Spread Love

Jersey City's Crisis is an artist, actor, and activist releasing his first official solo effort - Levels of Love. Crisis' top single, Spread Love, features Daria Jones and spreads a message of anti-violence and compassion. Be sure to follow both of these Jersey City artists and spread the love. Watch the full music video here: https://youtu.be/-0RibtnQ0OI As well, a short film is in the works reenacting tales from Crisis' life - including the loss of his parents at an early age, relationships with women, and how bonds with friends filled the void of not being very close with blood relatives.

P.S. 38 students participate in High School Signing Day

On April 10, 2019, eighth graders graduating from Jersey City's James F. Murray P.S. 38 participated in a High School Signing Day honoring their academic achievements thus far. "An eighth grade signing day is unheard of," Assistant Principal Tyrone Bates said. "We just wanted to level it up, get them excited, and make them feel recognized." Bates modeled the event after National Signing Day, which has traditionally been the first day that a high school senior can sign a Letter of Intent to an NCAA school for a collegiate sport - particularly football. Some of the high schools P.S. 38's graduates will be attending include McNair Academic, County Prep, Marist, and University Academy Charter. Additionally, Principal Sandra Jones announced that one student was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Nyamwange Foundation for their academic achievements. The Nyamwange Foundation was founded by Joseph Nyamwange, a P.S. 38 graduate, as a way to give back to the people of Jersey City and honor his immigrant parents from Kenya. To read more about the foundation, click here: ��https://www.nyamwange.org/ Finally, congratulations to the P.S. 38 Class of 2019 and all the teachers & support staff who worked tirelessly to get them ready for high school and beyond!

Young Republican is running for Hudson County Executive

Some might say Kennith Gonzalez is a longshot to become the next Hudson County Executive, but that isn't stopping the eighteen-year-old Republican from throwing his name into the ring. Gonzalez, a lifelong resident of Union City and freshman at Seton Hall University studying political science, is running on a platform of increasing transparency and lowering taxes in Hudson County. "I'm running because I want to make a difference," Gonzalez said. "The difference that our elected officials haven't made in 20 or 25 years." Gonzalez is challenging Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, who has held the office since 2002 - shortly after Robert Janiszewski resigned from the position due to corruption charges. Given that Hudson County is heavily Democratic, Gonzalez knows Pres. Donald Trump's unpopularity is an issue for him, but he hopes voters will judge him based solely on his own candidacy. "He's a Republican, and I'm a Republican, but my name is Kennith Gonzalez, my name is not Donald Trump." #JerseyCity #HudsonCounty #NewJersey #NJGOP #njpolitics #politics #UnionCity #SetonHall #Democrats #Republicans #GOP #HCDO

Ronald Reagan campaigns for President in Liberty State Park

#FBF: "I'm here because it is the home of Democrats, because I believe today, that in this country, there are millions of Democrats who are just as unhappy with the way things are as all the rest of us are," Pres. Ronald Reagan said during a rousing campaign speech in Liberty State Park on September 1, 1980. Reagan would go on to defeat then-Pres. Jimmy Carter that year in a landslide victory. Nearly 40 years later, countless Democratic candidates are now engaged in a fierce primary battle for the opportunity to take on Pres. Donald Trump in 2020, but do any of them have what it takes to win over Republican voters like Reagan was able to win over Democrats? #JerseyCity #HudsonCounty #NewJersey #LibertyStatePark #Democrats #Republicans #RonaldReagan #Reagan #2020

Thyson Halley honored for his work as a Deaf Advocacy Leader

Life-long Jersey City resident Thyson Halley might not wear a cape, but that doesn't mean he isn't a hero - especially to the people who make up the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. In recognition of his efforts, Halley was recently honored on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Donald M. Payne Jr. for his work as a Deaf Advocacy Leader. Some of that work includes fighting for educational, employment, housing and interpreting services, as well as teaching American Sign Language at the Bethune Center in Jersey City. Additionally, Halley's developed partnerships with the Jersey City Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, community activists, and elected officials, including Governor Phil Murphy, to help spread awareness for the deaf community. Furthermore, when Umar King, a deaf Jersey City resident, was killed after being struck by a stolen car evading police, Halley worked tirelessly to help honor the memory of his friend - including setting up a scholarship and renaming a section of Kennedy Boulevard in King's name. All that said, life hasn't always been easy for Halley. Diagnosed with Spinal Meningitis when he was two-years old, his family was told that he would be unable to speak, “walk or do anything.” Despite that early diagnosis, Halley has grown into a leader that stands tall and speaks with a purpose that has attracted many to his advocacy. Simply put, he represents the best of Jersey City and is an inspiration to many!

Fulop-Kushner politics leaves empty lot in Journal Square

Back in 2014, Mayor Steven Fulop and Jared Kushner, then a real estate developer, were singing each other's praisies at the groundbreaking of the Trump Bay Street project in Downtown Jersey City. Since that time, Donald J. Trump, Kushner's father-in-law, was elected president and hired Jared as a White House Senior Advisor. Due to the bump in noteriety, and Trump's right-wing agenda, liberal activists targeted Kushner's family-operated development business for protests in Jersey City. Though the protests gained the support of Fulop and successfully halted major development by Kushner Companies in Jersey City, an empty lot remains in the center of Journal Square. Outside of the Journal Squared project, which is being built by Kushner's estranged relatives, no other major development has broken ground in the heart of the city during the Fulop Administration. Some, including Ward C Councilman Richard Boggiano (who represents the area), have been critical of the lack of progress. The empty lot on Sip & Bergen Avenues is now a legal nightmare stuck in the courts with no end in sight. At the same time, Trump's unpopularity in Jersey City is likely as high as ever. Which makes for one interesting question - Is it time for the Fulop Administration and Kushner Companies to get back to the negotiating table with the hopes of breaking ground in JSQ this year, or should both sides keep fighting through the courts for the sake of politics (which could go on for years)?

JCPD cop under fire for 'inaction' as fellow officer assaulted

Though it's not HD video, the brutal assault of a Jersey City police officer on February 23, 2019, was caught on camera. The most interesting aspect of the incident, which occurred on Glenwood Avenue near Saint Peter's University, was the first officer responding to the scene. According to sources, JCPD officials plan to discipline the responding officer for their apparent inaction as the other officer was pummeled. While the video isn't crystal clear, there does appear to be a 15-20 second period in which the officer fails to take any meaningful action to assist their fellow officer until a second cop responds. Some cops think the officer in question should be fired for their alleged "inaction" responding to the incident. Full story pending disciplinary action. #JerseyCity #JerseyCityPolice #HudsonCounty #NewJersey #JCPD #BlueLivesMatter #ThinBlueLine #Cops

Cops caught lying on CCTV about horseplay

Just wanted to say that I've been labeled anti-cop so many times it would be impossible to keep track. In reality, I'm pro-accountability for law enforcement leadership. I get stories about stupidity like this, which can get officers in serious trouble, all the time. Unless it serves a purpose, like the point I'm trying to make right now, I almost never post them. Simply put, I'm only concerned with those calling the shots. I withheld the names of officers involved with this video as a professional courtesy and won't be reporting on this incident. Hope all is well with everyone that's been following, and that the officer involved in this incident didn't suffer serious injuries. - Real JC Publisher Michael Shurin