Longtime NJ weed activist escapes crazy attempted-murder charge in Miami

Ed Forchoin has long been known as NJ Weedman

Miami police charged Forchoin with attempted murder

Forchoin said he acted in self-defense during the February incident

New Jersey's Ed Forchion is back home after a judge dropped attempted murder charges for hitting a man in the head with a fire extinguisher.

According to a Miami police complaint obtained by New Jersey 101.5, Forchoin was charged Tuesday after the Feb. 12 incident in front of a club called Joint of Miami, which is owned by his son.

The victim told police he went to the club with friends. When he left, Forchoin came outside and sprayed him with the fire extinguisher and chased him to his car, according to the complaint.

He told police that Forchion continued to spray him while he sat in his car before hitting him twice in the head with the fire extinguisher.

Forchoin then took off in a Corvette with New Jersey plates, according to the complaint.

The victim identified Forchion as the assailant when police showed him a picture. He told police that he was a former employee and knew Forchion for about eight years.

Police charged Forchion with attempted murder, battery, and burglary with assault or battery while armed and arrested him on Tuesday.

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"I just neutralized the threat"

Forchion told New Jersey 101.5 his actions were in self-defense. A judge who watched surveillance video of the incident agreed and dropped the attempted murder charge, according to his Miami lawyer, Michael Meier.

"You can clearly see the so-called victim was attacking me," Forchion said. "I had a fire extinguisher in my hand when he was attacking me. It was actually a dumb move on his part. But he was attacking me. I clumped him twice. I probably could have hit him 15 more times because he went down after the second one."

"I just neutralized the threat. And that's exactly how I explained it. He was attacking me. I popped him twice. He went down and that was the end of it."

Forchoin said that the victim was a disgruntled former employee of the club who was fired in December. He showed up at the club with "three guys" and was kicked out. When they started causing problems Forchoin said he went outside to handle the problem. He said he used the fire extinguisher as a weapon in self-defense.

"Clearly on the video, I'm being attacked. And I defend myself with a fire extinguisher I had no obligation to retreat. They said it was my place and I had no obligation to retreat. I could stand my ground and defend myself. And that's what I did. And the judge saw it and that's why I'm talking to you on the phone," Forchion said.

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Attorney: Incomplete investigation by police

Forchion's attorney said that police arrested his client without an investigation and took the victim's word at face value. He said Forchoin's actions were completely in self-defense and the charges were far more serious than warranted.

"They charged him with attempted felony murder, that never occurred. They also charged them with burglary to a vehicle, that never occurred. What did occur is that you see his former employee along with a couple of his friends trying to enter Ed's club. And Ed sprayed a fire extinguisher to basically disperse these guys because they were trying to cause trouble," Meier said.

Meier said that the judge's role at first appearance is to determine probable cause for the arrest and determined there was none. Florida 11th Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer dropped the most serious of the charges and released Forchoin on $2,500 bond, according to Meier. He has since returned to New Jersey.

"It's a good thing that Judge Glazer had the sense to listen to the arguments and review the video. She made the determination that the officer was wrong and released him," Meier said.

Weedman will likely have another date in court within the next month during which he expects the rest of the charges to be dropped.

Forchion declined to release the video to New Jersey 101.5 for fear of the negative impact on his reputation if it went viral.

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