Remembering Trooper Foerster on the 46th anniversary of his murder

The New Jersey State Police are remembering one of their own today -- 46 years after he was murdered.

News 12 Staff

May 2, 2019, 3:47 PM

Updated 1,988 days ago

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The New Jersey State Police are remembering one of their own today -- 46 years after he was murdered.
Trooper Werner Foerster was shot and killed on the New Jersey Turnpike on May 2, 1973.
Police say that Joanne Chesimard, and other members of the extremist group Black Liberation Army, opened fired on Foerster, as well as another state trooper, as the troopers were making a traffic stop. After an exchange of gunfire, Foerster was shot and killed with his own weapon, while the other was shot and wounded.
Chesimard was convicted and sentenced to prison in 1979, but she escaped and fled to Cuba, where she was granted asylum. She was seen last in 1984 and is still believed to be in Cuba to this day.
Col. Patrick Callahan said in a statement, “Our pursuit of Joanne Chesimard will not cease until she is returned to New Jersey to serve out the remainder of her prison sentence for the brutal murder of Trooper Werner Foerster. We owe it to the Foerster family, the State Police Family, and every family member who has suffered the devastating loss of a loved one killed in the line of duty."
Chesimard remains on the FBI's most wanted terrorist list.
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal also released a statement on Twitter.
A $2 million reward is being offered for information leading to Chesimard's capture.