NEW JERSEY COPS ■ AUGUST 2014
45
Local 232 believed Walker would be exonerated
■ BY JOSHUA SIGMUND
At the NJ State PBA meeting in July,
Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office
Local 232 State Delegate Matthew Stambuli stepped to the microphone to
report on the status of Joseph Walker.
Walker, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Detective, was about to go on
trial for a violent crime that resulted
from a road rage encounter in Maryland
on June 8, 2013. Stambuli indicated he
believed Walker would be exonerated
once he had his day in court.
That cheer you heard was all of Local
232 sending up a roar on July 30 when
Walker was found not guilty on all
counts that included first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary
manslaughter, using a handgun during
a felony and using a handgun during a
violent crime..
“We still have a lot of compassion for
the deceased, but we were obviously
overjoyed for Detective Walker,” related
Stambuli.
The verdict after two days of jury
deliberation followed a trial that Stambuli described as “concerning.”
Coming in the September issue
of NJ COPS:
A full report breaking down the
Joseph Walker case
“Why was he indicted in the first
place?” Stambuli asked.
The year since the incident was difficult for friends and family of Walker,
who were often left in the dark with the
proceedings.
“We were getting some information,
but the prosecution made a motion to
the judge for a gag order for releasing
any information such as what transpired in the courtroom. Due to that, we
weren’t receiving all the info we normally receive in a criminal case,” Stambuli
explained. “When you don’t have all the
facts, it makes it incredibly difficult; you
really don’t get what’s going on – what’s
transpiring, where the state of Maryland
was taking it. We were constantly in contact with Detective Walker, but a lot of
the information was limited due to the
gag order.”
At about 8:30 p.m. on June 8, 2013,
Maryland State Police alleged that Walter’s minivan cut off Joseph Harvey Jr.’s
sedan. Walker testified that afterward,
Harvey became enraged and drove
beside the minivan – which contained
Walter’s family – shouting expletives,
threats and racial slurs. Walker said he
pulled out his badge and said “Police,
keep moving,” but Harvey eventually
ran Walker off the road and both parties
exited their vehicles. The detective testified that he yelled for Harvey to “Just go
back,” but when he kept coming, Walker shot him once in the leg. Walker said
that even wounded, Harvey continued
to advance, forcing Walker to shoot him
two more times, killing him.
In his remarks to members at the July
meeting, Stambuli also expressed how
Local 232 remained steadfast by focusing on Walker’s rights and continued to
reassure him.
“From the State PBA, other Locals and
our own, there was overwhelming support for Detective Walker.” d