No Bail Increase For Man Charged in Newark Cop’s Death

Bail will not be increased for a Newark man charged in a drive-by shooting that killed an off-duty city police officer.

Essex County prosecutors asked a judge Wednesday to boost Rasul McNeill-Thomas' bail from $250,000 to $1 million and return him to jail. The request came as he was being arraigned on charges including murder, attempted murder and conspiracy.

But the judge declined, noting that bail is meant to assure that a defendant appears in court, which McNeill-Thomas has done since posting bail last fall. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

McNeill-Thomas is charged in the death of Officer William Johnson, who was waiting for a slice of pizza when he was shot in May 2011. Authorities have said Johnson was not the intended target.

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