Man Who Shot Off-Duty New Jersey Cop Must Pay Him $5.9M

An off-duty Mercer County Sheriff’s officer who was shot and seriously wounded when he tried to intervene in a domestic dispute has won a $5.9 million civil judgment against the gunman.

A New Jersey judge recently awarded the money to Joshua Hahn and his wife after Billy Heisler – who was convicted last month on attempted murder and weapons charges – failed to respond to the suit.

The 34-year-old officer suffered two punctured lungs and a shattered vertebra when he tried to break up a fight between Heisler and his sister at a Hamilton Township pizzeria in July 2007. Hahn eventually had to retire on permanent disability.

Hahn was awarded $963,871 in lost wages; $1.5 million for pain and suffering and $2.5 million in punitive damages. Hahn’s wife was awarded $1 million,