News of last Friday’s shooting incident made it into policemag.com, an online law enforcement publication.
GO HERE:
LINK
Shooting incident makes it to Police Magazine
Year: 2016
Friends and family seek answers on shooting
The article also states:
“In August 2015, he was involved in afight over a Confederate flag at Sixth and Locust streets. Rentas removed a flag from the back of a truck, his mother confirmed Monday afternoon.”
(Actually, the incident occurred at Sixth and Walnut. Columbia Spy first made the connection between the two incidents in a previous article.)
NAACP Statement On The Shooting Of Police Officers In Columbia, Pennsylvania
August 01, 2016
Baltimore, MD -Today, NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks released the following statement after the arrest of Marquell Rentas and Trenton Nace in the non-fatal shooting of four police officers in Columbia, Pennsylvania.
‘Yet again as a nation we are an unwilling witness to alleged violence against the police. While much is yet unknown in the circumstances of the arrests of Marquell Rentas and Trenton Nace, the NAACP is profoundly concerned about hostile actions against police and committed to nonviolent means of change.
‘The NAACP is committed to ending moments such as this by steadfastly condemning brutal violence against the police and police misconduct. Neither form of violence is an excuse for the other. Such realities go against the values of America and the values of the NAACP.
‘The events in Columbia this weekend are disheartening, but this particular incident creates an opportunity to improve police-community relations, thankfully without having to mourn the loss of life. We commend the efforts of the Lancaster County NAACP and local law enforcement, and echo their call for community dialogue in this time of turmoil. While we gather further details on the two teenagers charged we offer our support to all citizens of Columbia, Pennsylvania.
National Night Out Tuesday August 2
Everyone is welcome to attend the 4th Annual National Night Out event on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Glatfelter Memorial Field. The Borough will have a recycling booth with free items for the kids.
Candidate criticizes borough council appointment process
Columbian Joe Nikolaus was one of several candidates to run unsuccessfully for recently vacated council seats. Nikolaus offered the following assessment of the process and of council:
Columbia Borough not cowed by lawyers
In a recent letter to the editor to LNP, Columbia Borough Manager Greg Sahd responded to a recent article that suggested the borough was cowed by LNP’s lawyers.
Sahd stated: “Columbia is a heritage-rich yet financially poor community. We believe in providing our community with every opportunity to tell us how to spend its hard-earned money. And it did. By a margin of nearly 3 to 1, citizens asked Columbia Borough Council to continue advertising with LNP, even though it cost them and fellow taxpayers twice as much. We respect our citizens’ wishes.
We stayed with LNP not because of your Philadelphia lawyers’ attempt to intimidate us, but only because of the respect we have for the voices of Columbia’s citizens whom we ultimately serve.”
The full text of the letter is HERE.
The original article is HERE.
Shooting picked up by pro-gun site – and more info
Friday morning’s shooting incident in Columbia in which two teens shot at police officers has been picked up by an online publication titled Bearing Arms, which is apparently affiliated with the National Rifle Association. The article’s pro-gun slant unfortunately devolves into a slam against the press for creating a culture that puts police lives in danger.
The article states, in part: “This attempted assassination of Columbia, PA police is being largely ignored by a mainstream media attempting to dodge responsibility for the officers they’ve put at risk by crafting anti-police narratives . . .”
The complete article is HERE.
The following information is from the Columbia Borough Police Department’s Crimewatch page:
Marquell Robert Rentas
Marquell Robert Rentas, 17 of Columbia as an adult with the following charges after an incident on 07-29-16.
Attempted Criminal Homicide of Law Enforcement Officer
Conspiracy to commit Criminal Homicide of Law Enforcement Officer
Aggravated Assault
Assault of Law Enforcement Officer
Possession of Firearm by Minor
Recklessly Endangering Another Person
Case Number:
3312107-29-16
Arrest Date:
Friday, July 29, 2016
Charges:
Criminal Attempt at Criminal Homicide of Law Enforcement Officer
Aggravated Assault
Assault of Law Enforcement Officer
Possession of Firearm by Minor
Recklessly Endangering another Person
Source:
Columbia Borough Police Department
Trenton Michael Nace
Trenton Michael Nace, 18 of Columbia was charged with the following after an incident that occurred on 07-29-16 at approx. 3:25AM.
Attempted Criminal Homicide
Conspiracy to commit Criminal Homicide of Law Enforcement Officer
Aggravated Assault
Assault of Law Enforcement Officer
Recklessly Endangering Another Person
Case Number:
33121-07-29-16
Arrest Date:
Friday, July 29, 2016
Charges:
Attempted Homicide of Police Officer
Aggravated Assault
Assault of Law Enforcement Officer
Recklessly Endangering another Person
On Friday morning, Columbia Spy twice observed Trenton Nace being allowed outside behind the Columbia Police Station for a “smoke break,” each time accompanied by an officer. Both times, Nace behaved defiantly toward members of the press, who were standing at a nearby parking lot.
River Park to be closed all day Monday August 8
Charged shooter Marquell Rentas reportedly part of previous local controversy
Marquell Rentas, who is currently facing multiple charges resulting from Friday morning’s shooting incident on Bethel Street, was also involved in last summer’s Confederate flag controversy in Columbia.
Multiple sources allege that the teen waving a flag in THIS VIDEO in an LNP article is Rentas.
A source tells Columbia Spy that this photo from last summer’s protest in Columbia is Rentas:
Columbia Spy covered the protest HERE.
More recently, a reader submitted the following photos allegedly showing Rentas and Trenton Nace, who was also charged in the shooting, apparently trying to set fire to plywood on the 300 block of Avenue H, behind the abandoned Hotel Locust building. The plywood displayed spray-painted racist graffiti.
The post that includes the photos shown above is found HERE.
A YouTube channel under the name “Marquell Rentas” features the video shown below:
Shooting suspects – Info on charges filed
Marquell Robert Rentas, 17, of 244 Walnut St., and Trenton Michael Nace, 18, of 116 Lancaster Ave., are charged with several counts of attempted homicide of a law-enforcement officer, aggravated assault, assault of a law-enforcement officer and several counts of conspiracy. Both were charged as adults.
Documents (affidavits, criminal complaints) detailing the charges can be accessed here:
Columbia Spy 