Wanted man found in Greenville area
2nd man nabbed for jumping bail

Friday, August 22, 2008
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Gunfire following a street fight in Jersey City's Greenville section led to yesterday's arrest of an armed man who was already wanted for bail jumping in connection with a previous arrest, officials said.

Shalom Kennedy, 31, of Virginia Avenue, was arrested at 12:07 a.m. and charged with bail jumping, possession of a stolen handgun, drug possession and other weapons offenses, including possession of a firearm by a felon, officials said. Also arrested and charged with bail jumping was Hasheen Clark, 30, of Parnell Place, officials said.

At 11:10 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to Forrest Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on a report of a fight and began breaking up the crowd, reports said. They drew their guns when they heard a shot fired, reports said.

Back-up units responded and police searched the area but did not find the gunman, reports said; no one was hit.

Then early yesterday, there was another report of shots fired at the location and this time police got a description of the gunman, reports said, and Kennedy and Clark were stopped on Whiton Street because Kennedy fit the description.

A search of Kennedy turned up a .38 caliber handgun in his pocket, reports said.

Kennedy was in prison from May 31, 2002 to Feb. 24, 2005 and July 12, 2005 to Sept. 3, 2005 on two convictions for dealing drugs near a school and one for escaping, state corrections records say.

In May, Kennedy was sentenced to two years probation for a Jan. 27 aggravated assault in Jersey City, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said. The prosecutor also said that in March 1998 Kennedy was sentenced to five years in prison for another aggravated assault committed in Jersey City on Sept. 25, 1997.

It was not clear why the bail jumping warrant had been issued for Kennedy.