Pa. man surprised by charges during arraignment in attempted murder of Ocean City officer
By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, 609-463-6712
Published: Tuesday, July 29, 2008
4:45 p.m. Update - OCEAN CITY – A Harrisburg, Pa., man charged with the attempted murder of a police officer appeared in municipal court on Tuesday, apparently surprised by the gravity of the charges.Municipal Court Judge Richard A. Russell rattled off the lengthy list of offenses to suspect Martin L. Kieffer, 61, who appeared in a blue prison jumpsuit by video from the Cape May County jail. The judge informed Kieffer he was accused of attempted murder.“Attempted murder?” Kieffer said. “Oh, my God!”Police arrested Kieffer early Sunday morning for allegedly brandishing a .22-caliber handgun at his son during a domestic dispute on Anchorage Drive.
During the pat-down search, the police officers somehow overlooked a semi-automatic handgun loaded with 12 hollow-point bullets that Kieffer had concealed in an armpit holster.Handcuffed in the front, Kieffer allegedly tried to fire the gun at officers from the back seat of the cruiser outside the station. The gun jammed and police were able to wrest the gun away from him. Nobody was injured.
Police on Tuesday identified the five officers involved in the arrest and transport of Kieffer:
- Sgt. Brian Hopely was the street sergeant and supervisor on the scene.
- Patrolman Clay Tyce was the investigating officer who arrested Kieffer.
- Patrolman Jamie Fearnhead transported Kieffer to the police station.
- Sgt. Jon Campo was the desk sergeant that night who helped remove Kieffer from the vehicle.
- Patrolwoman Jen Barbato was waiting at the station to help move the suspect when she spotted the gun and warned the other officers.Kieffer also faces charges of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, possession of a concealed weapon without a permit and possession of drug paraphernalia.Police said they recovered knives, a pellet gun and a second handgun during a search of Kieffer’s car. Kieffer appeared somewhat disoriented during his arraignment Tuesday. He addressed the judge as “your honor” and “sir.” Unshaven and with stringy gray hair, he told a Cape May County Sheriff’s deputy he was deaf in one ear as he sat at the videoconference table.The judge asked if he understood the charges against him. “Some of them the way they were read I don’t agree with. Some I understand,” he said.He asked for an attorney and repeatedly asked to make a phone call.“I did not know, believe it or not, that firearms and even pellet guns are illegal in New Jersey. I imagine there’s no excuse for ignorance, right?” he asked the judge.“You just admitted possession of a firearm to me,” Russell replied. “It’s probably not in your best interest to make any statements to me at this time.”Kieffer said he had nine people counting on him at home. “Even though I’m a degenerate and disabled, I have to save some people at my home who will be turned out,” he said.When asked if he could post the $750,000 bail, he replied, “Nobody can come up with that.”
Kieffer’s wife, Diane A. Kieffer, died in January, according to a published obituary. He and his wife had their own public relations agency where they handled more than $1 billion in accounts.Kieffer has six grown children and nine grandchildren. See Wednesday's edition of The Press for additional coverage.
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