NJ man charged with attempted murder after shooting at cops on Christmas

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News on Dec 27, 2025

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A New Jersey man has been charged with attempted murder after shooting at law enforcement officers as they responded to a domestic violence incident on Christmas night, police said.

Officers with the Hamilton Township Police Department responded to a residence on the 500 block of North Street in Mays Landing on Thursday, after a woman reported that her husband, identified as 69-year-old Stephen Ponfi, was armed with a knife and a gun.

She said he’d already fired off several shots, but added that no one was wounded in the gunfire, according to a news release issued by police on Friday.

When officers arrived on the scene just after 9:15 p.m., they “established a perimeter, and attempted to make contact with Ponfi,” cops said. “He refused to obey instructions and again fired the handgun, this time in the direction of law enforcement personnel.”

No officers were wounded in the shooting, and it’s unclear if they returned gunfire.

Ponfi was eventually taken into custody without further incident, police said. He was being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility in Mays Landing as of Saturday afternoon.

Few other details regarding the case were provided.

In addition to the attempted murder charge, Ponfi is facing a count of possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, aggravated assault with a firearm, obstruction, harassment, and resisting arrest.