The attempted murder trial of Anthony Sims took a turn yesterday when the defendant admitted firing shots that hit two brothers and missed a third man, according to today’s Asbury Park Press.
The November, 2008 shooting at Montgomery Terrace apartments in Red Bank occurred after an argument over drug money between Sims’ mother and one of the victims, an alleged member of the Bloods gang, Sims testified.
According to the Press, Sims admitted he fired the shots, but said he had no intention of going outside of the apartment where he overheard the dispute to confront the three men until “they threatened to come inside the house.”
The victims “were armed and pulling their guns out when he shot them,” the newspaper reports of Sims’ account.
From the Press:
Sims testified Thursday morning in the courtroom of state Superior Court Judge Richard W. English, telling jurors he heard his mother Rhoda Palmer arguing inside the apartment next door to his girlfriend’s and went to see what was going on. He discovered his mother was arguing with Anthony Graves Jr., a Five Percenter street gang member known on the streets as “Prince I. Manifest.” She owed Graves money for drugs and he was demanding about $200. Sims testified the elder Graves then flashed a handgun.
“He wanted his Bloods money,” Sims said, insisting the admitted Five Percenter was also a member of the Bloods street gang.
Sims later testified the argument resumed later that evening, with Brandon Graves and Rosado claiming to be Bloods, and added Rosado was making hand signs to indicate he was a Blood.
Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Decker asked Sims why he didn’t just call Red Bank police if he feared violence from these men he believed were Bloods.
“On a Blood member? It wouldn’t be a good idea to call,” Sims said.
