MOUNT HOLLY, NJ — A juvenile charged with attempting to kill a Florence Township police officer and assaulting two other officers early last year was sentenced today to 18 years in state prison.
Under an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, Fasihullah Safar, 17, of Alexandria, Va., pled guilty in January to Attempted Murder (First Degree), Aggravated Assault (Second Degree), Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer (Third Degree) and Theft of a Motor Vehicle (Third Degree).
The sentence was handed down in Superior Court in Mount Holly by the Hon. Aimee Belgard, P.J.Cr.
The case was elevated from juvenile court in September after the Prosecutor’s Office filed a petition to waive Safar up to adult status.
The incident began March 21 at approximately 4:30 p.m. after Safar intentionally struck a Florence police patrol vehicle multiple times while the officer was responding to a report of an overturned vehicle.
Following the collision, Safar’s vehicle became inoperable on Route 130 near Station Road.
When additional officers arrived on the scene, Safar charged toward them while aggressively swinging a knife and stabbed an officer multiple times in the chest area.
The officer was wearing a vest that prevented more significant injuries.
Safar refused to surrender and had to be subdued.
One of the officers suffered facial injuries and a laceration to his torso.
Two other officers were released after receiving medical treatment.
Safar was uninjured, except for a cut on one of his fingers which was caused by his own knife.
It was learned later in the investigation that Safar also caused the first collision that the officer was responding to when Safar struck his patrol vehicle.
Safar told the court during his plea proceeding in January that in the months leading up to the confrontation with police, he had begun following the Islamic State terrorist organization, formerly referred to as ISIS.
He indicated on social media that he planned to join the group, and stated that becoming a terrorist would enable him to defend his religion.
In response to questioning from his public defender during the same proceeding, Safar admitted to screaming “Allahu akbar” during the scuffle, and acknowledged that his intention was to promote terrorism by killing one of the officers.
Safar was prosecuted by BCPO Assistant Prosecutor Courtney J. O’Brien.
The investigation was conducted by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the Florence Township Police Department.
The lead investigators were BCPO Detective Sgt. Shawn McDonough, NJOHSP Detective Sgt. Lauren Laielli, NJOHSP Detective Daniel Connolly and FTPD Detective Matthew Nagle.
