NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Two New Jersey State troopers were shot on Wednesday morning during a standoff at a motel in Sussex County, prosecutors said.
Troopers were doing a “welfare check” at the Cobmin Ridge Motel on Route 206 in Branchville on Tuesday at 6 p.m. when they confronted Nicolas R. Martinez, 27, who was staying in one of the rooms on Tuesday morning.
The troopers tried to de-escalate the situation but Martinez refused to leave his room, according to state police.
Martinez then allegedly began to fire a weapon out of the room toward the troopers.
At around 4 a.m. after hours of failed attempts to get Martinez to back down, troopers went into the motel room where Martinez allegedly fired multiple rounds from an air rifle.
As a result, two troopers were injured, though the injuries were not life threatening, prosecutors confirmed.
Martinez was then taken into custody.
He was charged with two counts of attempted murder, terroristic threats, unlawful possession of an air rifle, and related weapons crimes.