Deptford police officer charged with murder

WOODBURY — A Deptford police officer was charged with murder Friday, after a man he allegedly shot in the face last weekend died from his injuries.
The charges against Patrolman James Stuart, 29, were upgraded after 27-year-old David Compton of Woodbury was removed from life support and subsequently died around 1 a.m., according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office. Compton had been in critical condition at Cooper University Hospital in Camden since the shooting last Saturday at Stuart’s home in Deptford.
Bail for Stuart, who was suspended following the shooting, was set at $500,000 Friday and then later reduced to $250,000 “after reviewing the defendant’s circumstances,” the prosecutor’s office said. Stuart and Compton had known each other for several years.
Details about the shooting itself remain scarce.
Authorities have said only that Compton was shot in the face inside Stuart’s split-level home in the township’s Oak Valley section around 5 a.m. Authorities confirmed the pair knew each other and that the shooting was not random.
Stuart reported the shooting to police.
Authorities have not said whether the officer’s department-issued weapon fired the shot that killed Compton or if it was a personal firearm.
Stuart, a five-year veteran at the police department, was arrested following the shooting and charged with second- and third-degree aggravated assault. He subsequently was released after posting $10,000 in bail.
On Friday, Stuart’s attorney John Eastlack declined to comment on the matter. In the days after the shooting, Eastlack said the incident was a “terrible accident” and that Stuart was praying for Compton’s recovery.
In a statement, Compton’s family said Friday it was with “great sadness” that they announced the passing of David, a “beloved son and brother.”
“While it was our hope that David would be able to overcome the injuries he suffered, it has become apparent that, despite receiving the finest medical care, his injuries were just too severe,” the statement from attorney Daniel Gee read.
The family plans to donate Compton’s organs to medical science, according to the statement.
“It is our hope that despite this tragedy, David’s tremendous spirit can live on in those individuals who are fortunate to receive his special gift,” the family stated.
Deptford Police Chief Daniel Murphy issued a statement Friday expressing condolences to the Compton family on behalf of a department left “devastated” by the incident.
“We had all hoped and prayed for a different outcome, and want the family to know that they will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers during this time of loss,” the statement read in part.
Murphy added the department remains committed to ensuring public safety and its officers “are among the best trained in our state and perform their duties extremely well.”