Reported in The Courier News- a Gannet Newspaper
Adrian Mapp's SUV was hit as he was leaving church in Plainfield.
By BRANDON LAUSCH Staff Writer
PLAINFIELD -- Police are continuing forensics testing on a bullet that lodged into a window of Union County Freeholder Adrian Mapp's SUV earlier this week as he was driving home from church, authorities said.
Police said Mapp was pulling out of the parking lot of St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Park Avenue at 8:55 p.m. Wednesday when a bullet lodged in the rear passenger window of his SUV.
Mapp, who was alone at the time, immediately drove to police headquarters to report the incident and provide a statement to authorities, Plainfield Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig said Friday. Mapp did not suffer any injuries, Hellwig said.
"We have no idea whether this was a targeted attack, whether someone shot a gun from an area and it landed there or struck there. We have no idea," said Hellwig, adding that police do not have any suspects in the shooting. "There's no other indications, and all options are open."
Through a spokesman, Mapp declined comment.
Hellwig said Plainfield police are continuing an active investigation into the incident, including trying to find out the trajectory of the bullet, its caliber and how far away from Mapp's vehicle the shot was fired. Hellwig said there were apparently no witnesses.
"It would be fruitless for me to speculate on anything like that now because it's under investigation and we don't know those things," Hellwig said.
Mapp, a Plainfield resident who served on City Council for seven years, was elected to a three-year term on the Union County freeholder board in 2004. Mapp, a Democrat, has two adult daughters with his wife, Amelia.
Brandon Lausch can be reached at (908) 707-3175 or blausch@c-n.com.
Statement from the New Jersey Green Party Chairman George DeCarlo:
** Freeholder Mapp while running for the office of Freeholder, I have been told, stated that he would look into the problems of the county not going along with the machine. Well, not much was heard from Mapp during his time in office as to being a maverick. Perhaps he did ruffle some in the machine and his thanks are no line and now what of this bullet. I would not be surprised given the attacks by the county government in what a detective called what seems like a case of kidnapping among the other many assaults launched against Toy-Ling Washington in Hillside. The county and the Democratic machine continue their assault on her which also included having her house attacked early in the process which now the departments of UC government are fully involved including the court. Judge Malone (former UC Democratic Machine Chair) had to recuse himself from her case. Early in the process to smash Toy-Ling due to growing popularity amongst voters, Judge Malone aka judicial tool of the machine oversaw the writing of the complaint Toy-Ling had made against the election in Hillside two years ago. He not only had her write the complaint in his own manner but judged it in court. Did those in court know this along with the media? No. Of course, I am only giving a very small snippet of the horror she has had to face at the hands of a political machine that controls Union County. -- George
