Teen With Gun Chased To Roof Of Hoboken's Public Housing, Caught: Cops

HOBOKEN, NJ — A Jersey City teen with a gun was caught by the Hoboken police after being chased to the roof of a public housing building, police said.

Nineteen-year-old Jamal Pittman Jr. of Jersey City was charged with five weapons offenses, and resisting arrest, police said Friday.

Police said that Pittman had a gun with him that had been reported missing from Georgia.

Police said that on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Sgt. Adam Colon and Police Officers Josh Campoverde, Frank Losurdo, Christopher Barral, Ramon Estrella, and Enrico Gnassi responded to the 500 block of Marshall Drive on reports that a group of individuals, believed to be in possession of a firearm, were trespassing in a stairwell of a Hoboken Housing Authority (HHA) building.

Sgt. Colon recognized Pittman on a fourth-floor stairwell landing and knew he was not an HHA resident, police said.

Pittman ran off and ignored calls to stop, police said.

Colon chased Pittman to the roof, where he observed Pittman descending from the landing. Then he was caught and arrested.

"Officers found a handgun and ammunition on a part of the roof easily accessible from the landing," police said. "It was later learned the handgun was reported missing out of Georgia."

Pittman was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters where he was charged with:
• Burglary in possession of a firearm
• Possession of weapons for unlawful purposes
• Unlawful possession of a weapon
• Possession of prohibited weapon; large capacity magazine
• Receiving handgun ammunition
• Obstruction of the administration of law
• Obstruction of the administration of the law for discarding a firearm
• Resisting arrest • Theft of property which is lost, mislaid, or delivered by mistake

Pittman was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.

Two Others Summonsed

Two other people in the original group, later identified as 21-year-old Davante Gregory and 20-year-old Tyshawn Lane, both of Jersey City, were issued summonses for defiant trespassing, police said.

“I would like to commend the brave efforts of the officers who answered this call, and all Hoboken Police Officers, who put their lives on the line each and every day to protect residents,” said Police Chief Steven Aguiar. “The swift action taken during this call took one more gun off the streets.”

The incident took place just three blocks from the recent fatal shooting of Damon Murray, whose service was scheduled for Friday evening. Read more here.

OTHER POLICE NEWS: Woman Not Missing From Hoboken