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A man who was shot once in the abdomen by police after he injured a police officer and tried to take another officer’s gun now faces an attempted murder charge.

Oswaldo Torres Quiroz, 22, Iselin, has been charged with first degree attempted murder, second degree attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer, third degree resisting arrest, third degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, fourth degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and fourth degree possession of a prohibited weapon following an incident that took place Monday morning in the city, according to a news release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Asbury Park Police responded to a report of a disorderly persons at 619 Main St. around 9:20 a.m. where they found Torres Quiroz brandishing an eight- to 10-inch long steak knife outside of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment building.

Torres Quiroz swung his knife at Officer Carl Christie, puncturing his bullet proof vest in the abdominal area and causing lacerations to his right wrist and one of his fingers. He then attempted to grab Officer Johnny Washington’s gun, causing Washington to discharge one round of his police issue .40-caliber Glock handgun into Torres Quiroz’s abdomen.

Christie, a 23-year veteran of the force who has served the department for the past 16 years, was treated at an area hospital and released shortly after the incident took place. Officer Washington was also treated for respiratory injuries and was released. Officer Anthony Butler, who also responded to the incident, was not injured.

Torres Quiroz is listed in stable condition following surgery at a local hospital, the release stated.

He is being held on $735,000 bail with no option to post ten percent, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen.

Kilgallen also ordered Torres Quiroz can not return to the scene of the crime and cannot have contact with his victims.

If convicted of attempted murder, Torres Quiroz faces a sentence of 20 years in a New Jersey state prison, subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act” [NERA] which requires he serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole. He would also be under parole supervision for five years following his release from state prison.

If convicted of attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer, Torres Quiroz faces a sentence of five to ten years in prison.

If convicted of the third degree offenses, Torres Quiroz faces three to five years in a state prison.

If convicted of the fourth degree offenses, he faces up to 18 months in state prison.

Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to call Detective Rosendo Perez or Detective Ryan Muller, both of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, at 1-800-533-7443.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.

The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Thomas Huth, Director of the Office’s Major Crimes Bureau, and Jacqueline Seely, Director of the Office’s Professional Responsibility and Bias Crime Bureau.

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