On May 2, 1973, New Jersey state trooper Werner Forster stopped a vehicle on the New Jersey Turnpike due to a broken taillight. Inside were three armed members of the radical Black Liberation Army.
A sudden firefight ensued, resulting in Officer Forster being shot four times and ultimately losing his life. Now, many years later, the discussion surrounding the brutal killing of law enforcement officers is reigniting demands for accountability.
One of the suspects, Joanne Chesimard, has been living in Cuba since she escaped from a New Jersey prison in 1979.
Current New Jersey State Police Commissioner Patrick J. Callahan has stated, “She should serve a life sentence.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Representative Jamal Bowman has drawn attention for honoring radical black activists, including convicted murderers, on a middle school “wall of honor.”
Callahan expressed strong sentiments about Chesimard: “I want her yesterday. I have the handcuffs of trooper Forster ready to go for her when she arrives on that runway, wherever she is.”
This has led to renewed calls demanding the extradition of roughly 70 fugitives, including convicted criminals and airline hijackers, who have found refuge in Cuba.
In 2017, then-President Donald Trump urged the Cuban government to return Chesimard and others. Now, with the Trump administration revisiting stricter measures against Cuba, there’s a possibility that the fugitive could be brought back to the U.S. Recent sanctions against the Cuban regime hint at escalating tensions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has voiced his condemnation of Cuba’s support for American fugitives, stating, “The Cuban government shelters terrorists and criminals, including U.S. fugitives.”
Among those is Assata Shakur, also convicted of murdering a police officer and requesting asylum in Cuba.
Callahan has made it clear that the memory of Forster’s murder remains fresh: “The brutal murder of New Jersey trooper Werner Forster will never be forgotten, and we will never stop fighting for justice.”
During President Obama’s term, U.S.-Cuba relations improved in 2015, leading to the return of some fugitives, although none were labeled terrorists. In 2018, a lawyer, James R. Ray, was extradited from Cuba and later died in prison in 2023 while serving a sentence for murder.
Trump’s administration reversed the rapprochement with Cuba, reinstating it on the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. “It’s a sovereign state; I understand that, but here is someone who killed a New Jersey trooper. I want to do whatever I can to bring her back to complete her sentence,” Callahan emphasized.
Senator Rick Scott, reflecting on the issue, shared his frustrations about the situation in Cuba, saying, “I hate that these killers are just roaming the streets of Cuba. It’s infuriating.” He’s backing a bill named the “Frank Connor and the Trooper Werner Forster Justice Act,” aimed at denouncing the shelter provided to fugitives in Cuba.
This bill is named after Frank Connor, a banker killed in a bombing at Fraunces Tavern in Manhattan in 1975. The attack, attributed to a Puerto Rican terrorist group, resulted in several casualties, with one of the bombers eventually seeking refuge in Cuba.
Joe Connor, Frank’s son, believes that Trump has the influence to negotiate the return of these fugitives, stating, “We have these convicted terrorists 90 miles away from us, and we have financial leverage. Let’s strike deals to bring them back.”
As the anniversary of trooper Forster’s death approaches, New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy expressed his commitment, saying, “My dedication to justice hasn’t faded. We’ll keep working to bring his murderer back to New Jersey and address the consequences of her actions.”
Colonel Callahan remarked that Forster’s death and Chesimard’s freedom remain “open wounds” for the state police, recognizing a history marked by the loss of officers in the line of duty.
