Top Stories

Not Guilty Plea In Shooting Of Teen In Bed

19-Year-Old Terrance Perry Charged In Death Of 15-Year-Old Bukhari Washington

NEWARK (AP) ― The suspect in last week's killing of a 15-year-old who was shot while he slept in his bed pleaded not guilty Wednesday to aggravated manslaughter and weapons charges.

Terrance Perry, who appeared before state Superior Court Judge Michael A. Petrolle in handcuffs and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, did not speak during the brief court proceeding. His plea was entered by his attorney, Benjamin Del Vento Jr.

Bail was continued at $300,000 for Perry, who is being held at the Essex County jail.

The 19-year-old Perry is charged in the death of 15-year-old Bukhari Washington last Thursday.

Perry has told police he was handling a semiautomatic rifle in his apartment when it fired accidentally, sending a bullet through the ceiling and into the apartment where Washington was sleeping. Perry said he acquired the gun for protection after being the victim of several assaults.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Iu said Wednesday that Perry was charged with the more serious offense of aggravated manslaughter rather than reckless manslaughter due to the nature of the weapon, a Chinese-made Norinco SKS.

Aggravated manslaughter, which carries a 30-year maximum sentence, requires a jury to conclude that a defendant caused death "under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life."

A reckless manslaughter charge, which carries a 10-year maximum sentence, would only require prosecutors to prove Perry acted recklessly.

"Whether it was an accident or not, this was a very powerful weapon; we're not talking about a handgun or a shotgun for home protection," Iu said. "It's our contention that having an assault rifle with that type of power in your apartment shows indifference to human life."

Del Vento did not comment on the charges after the arraignment, and did not immediately return a phone message left at his office Wednesday.

The crime drew attention to the homicide rate among Newark's teenagers.

While Newark's overall homicides are down about 40 percent from last year, Washington was the city's 12th teen homicide victim in 2008 compared to 11 for all of 2007, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

The case also bears some similarities to another high-profile crime in New Jersey in 2002 involving former NBA star Jayson Williams.

In that case, Williams snapped a shotgun shut when it fired, killing 55-year-old hired driver Costas Christofi. Williams' attorneys claimed the weapon fired accidentally, while prosecutors contend Williams acted recklessly.

Williams was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter in 2004 but convicted of covering up the crime. A jury deadlocked on reckless manslaughter, and prosecutors are seeking to have Williams retried on that count.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

---