Paterson police officer charged with aggravated assault

A Paterson police officer has been charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes after firing a handgun and injuring two people in Paterson last week.

Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes announced the charges against Dante Gordon, 25, of Paterson, in a news release Saturday afternoon.

Gordon was arrested in Princeton without incident around 10 a.m. Saturday.

The shooting occurred outside a 7-11 at the intersection of Main and Market Streets around 1:20 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, the release said. Gordon, who was not on duty at the time, allegedly pointed a handgun in the direction of Travis Mann, 34, of Wanaque, and then fired a shot, Valdes said. Mann and John Smith, 36, of Paterson, who was in the vicinity at the time, were injured by fragments or debris from the shot Gordon fired, Valdes said in the release.

The Paterson Police Department did not become aware of the incident until later that morning and notified the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office around 10 a.m. Feb.25, Valdes said. The Prosecutor's Office Shooting Response Team began investigating the shooting.

Gordon was charged with one county of second degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes and one county of fourth degree aggravated assault by pointing a handgun at or in the direction of another. He was also charged with two counts of fourth degree aggravated assault by recklessly causing bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon.

If found guilty of the weapons possession charge, Gordon could face up to 10 years in a state prison. The aggravated assault charges each have a maximum prison sentence of 18 months.

Superior Court Judge Marilyn C. Clark, presiding judge of the Passaic County Criminal Division, set bail at 10 percent with no option to post only 10 percent. Gordon was released on bail, but must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, Valdes said.

Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale said Gordon has been suspended without pay.