Nearly two years after Atlantic City Police Officer Josh Vadell was shot in the head in the line of duty, two men have been convicted of attempted murder.

Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner says 31-year-old Martel Chisolm of Millville and 30-year-old Demetris Cross of Bridgeton have been convicted in connection to a shooting that occurred on September 3, 2016, in Atlantic City that resulted in the death of one man and the shooting of Atlantic City Police Officer Josh Vadell.

Martell Chisolm - Photo: ACPO
Martell Chisolm - Photo: ACPO
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Both Chisolm and Cross were convicted of the following charges Friday afternoon:

  • Fourth degree Aggravated Assault by Pointing a Firearm at Another
  • Fourth degree Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault by Knowingly Pointing a Firearm at Another
  • First degree Attempted Murder of Atlantic City Police Officer Thomas McCabe
  • First degree Attempted Murder of Atlantic City Police Officer Josh Vadell
  • 3 counts of First degree Robbery
  • Second degree Conspiracy to Commit Robbery
  • Fourth degree Obstructing the Administration of Law
  • Fourth degree Resisting Arrest by Flight
Demetrius Cross - Photo: ACPO
Demetrius Cross - Photo: ACPO
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Tyner, in a press release, said,

Today, a jury found Martell Chisolm and Demetrious Cross guilty for the attempted murder and conspiracy to attempt murder, among 10 other counts, of Atlantic City Police Officer Josh Vadell. This verdict is a resounding voice by our citizenry that they will not tolerate crimes against the very people who are sworn to protect all of us. Those who engage in criminal activity must understand that their chosen life of crime has real consequences, whether they are the injuries that Officer Vadell will live with for the rest of his life, or whether they are the many years that both of these defendants will spend incarcerated. This is not a movie, it is not a song, and it is not fiction. I thank all of the law enforcement agencies that helped apprehend these individuals. I am pleased that Officer Vadell and his family were able to witness justice dispensed in this matter.

In the early morning hours of September 3, 2016, two ACPD officers observed an alleged robbery in progress being committed near the Caesars parking garage on Arkansas Avenue. As one officer exited his vehicle he was shot and injured. A second officer returned fire, hitting one suspect, who fled the scene. The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Jerome Damon of Camden, who had been shot, was located at Missouri and Pacific Avenues where he died. An investigation revealed that three men had been victims of an alleged armed robbery committed by Damon, Chisolm, and Cross.

An article in The Press of Atlantic City written one year after Officer Vadell was shot reads, "the bullet that went through his skull resulted in weeks of hospitalization, months of therapy and a few surgeries. Vadell had to relearn basic movements and find a new normal."

Sentencing for both Chisolm and Cross is scheduled for September 17th. Both potentially face decades behind bars.

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