Fellow Inmate Says Cop-Kill Suspect Confessed

A fellow jail inmate says a man charged with killing a Lakewood police officer admitted committing the crime.

Jahmell Crockam at his arraignment. (Stacy Proebstle, Townsquare Media NJ)

Ronnie Crippen of Lakewood says Jahmell Crockam came up to him while both were being held in the Ocean County Jail in January 2011 and admitted shooting Patrolman Christopher Matlosz.

Crippen testified Thursday Crockam pretended to be reaching for identification the officer had asked for, then quickly pulled out a gun and shot the officer to death.

Earlier Thursday, a family friend testified that Crockam said he opened fire because he feared the officer was reaching for his own gun.

Corey Rua, a longtime friend of Crockam’s mother, testified that Crockam felt he was in a kill-or-be-killed situation.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)