Essex County Girl, 11, Helps Save Mom From Gun-Wielding Man: PD

NEWARK, NJ — An 11-year-old Essex County girl and her mother escaped from a gun-wielding man who held them hostage in their home last weekend. The girl was able to help summon police to the scene, who eventually shot and killed the man holding them captive, authorities said.

On Monday, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office released additional details about the Dec. 14 fatal police shooting, which resulted in the death of Sean Sharpe, 54, of Orange.

According to prosecutors, the incident began shortly after 9 p.m., when the victim and her 11-year-old daughter returned to their Irving Street home in Newark to find Sharpe – the mother’s ex-boyfriend – inside their home. Sharpe took the mother captive, forcing her out of the house, authorities said.

Meanwhile, the victim’s daughter was able to call police and alert them about the situation, prosecutors said.

• See related article: Newark Police Fatally Shoot Man During Hostage Situation

When the first Newark officers showed up at the home, they found Sharpe holding his ex-girlfriend and her daughter hostage. After a SWAT unit arrived on the scene, the girl was able to escape while Sharpe had his gun trained on her mother. She was immediately placed in an officer’s car for safety, authorities said.

It took significantly longer to get her mother to safety, police said.

According to a statement from the ECPO:

“For seven and a half hours Newark police officers negotiated with the suspect and used non-lethal measures to try to get Sharpe to surrender. Those efforts were unsuccessful. Just prior to the police shooting, the suspect pointed his weapon at the victim’s head and then at police. The investigation reveals that the suspect repeatedly stated he had no intention of surrendering to law enforcement.”

Police shot Sharpe around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15. He was pronounced dead at 5:50 a.m., authorities said.

Both the mother and her daughter escaped the situation without any physical injuries, police said.

Consistent with Attorney General Guidelines, the investigation is being handled by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Professional Standards Bureau, which is responsible for investigating all police-involved shootings in Essex County resulting in serious injury or death. An investigation is active and ongoing, prosecutors said Monday.

• See related article: What Happens To Newark Kids After A Traumatic Event?
• See related article: Essex County Has New Way Of Handling Domestic Violence Cases

YouTube user THEMAJESTIRIUM1 posted the below video taken at the scene on Dec. 14.

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Photo: YouTube / THEMAJESTIRIUM1