On the upcoming Thursday, Chung Ho, an inmate at Eastern Jersey State Penitentiary in Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County, will attain the age of 80. Three decades have passed since his crime: the fatal shooting of Lower Township Police Officer David C. Douglass. However, Ho’s tenure behind bars is drawing to a close. His release, scheduled for the 23rd of September, was given the green light by the New Jersey State Parole Board.
Many of Douglass’s loved ones publicly voiced their opposition to Ho’s launch back into society. One of these dissenting voices was Edward Donohue, an ex-police chief of Lower Township who declared, “It seems that a life sentence in New Jersey does not necessarily equate to a lifetime”. Donohue worked alongside Douglass when he was still a detective back in 1994.
Donohue spoke of the shared history between him and Douglass, their lives intertwining through both professional connections and personal life – they were both fathers to children of the same age group. When Douglass’s life was tragically cut short in the line of duty, Donohue took part in the subsequent investigation. Amidst the shared sentiment of loss and outrage, the thought of Douglass’s unfulfilled potential as a parent and grandparent was a reoccurring theme.
Donohue voiced his concerns, conveying the painful reality of Douglass’s missed milestones – his lack of opportunity to see his children reach adulthood, or meet his potential grandchildren. His objections to Ho’s release were adamant, and he stated his stand unequivocally: Chung Ho should never experience freedom again.
Despite Ho’s advanced age and argument of having served his time as factors for his release, Donohue was not convinced. He expressed a bitter sense of unfairness, pointing out how Ho may soon be reunited with his family – an opportunity Ho had denied Douglass in the gravest manner.
Another poignant detail in this case is the fact that one of Douglass’s children, David Douglass Jr., followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming an officer with the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office. Unfortunately, until Friday he remained unreachable for immediate contact.
In the past spring, Douglass Jr., in conjunction with his mother and David Douglass Sr.’s widow, Debbie Douglass, expressed plans to oppose the parole hearing set to take place in March. They intended to argue against Ho’s freedom, standing firm in the belief of serving justice for their lost loved one.
The week marked by the news of Ho’s release, brought the family a dour form letter announcement. The note, scant in emotion or detail, disclosed that Douglass’s murderer was set to walk free. The conclusion of the letter read, somewhat callously, that if they had any questions or queries, they were free to reach out.
Donohue voiced the incredulity poking at the family, baffled by the dismissive nature of the notification, bristling at the throwaway offer to reach out with any concerns. Both the family and the broader law enforcement community remain filled with unresolved questions about this case, especially given that this was the first instance of Ho being up for parole.
Chung Ho, alternatively known in some reports as Hop, his family name, is a native of China. Archive news from his trial reveal that his tragic background includes losing his father who was slain by Communists prior to Ho’s relocation to the United States.
In February 1994, the fatal encounter took place when Douglass responded to a call about a burglary. Based on records from Ho’s trial, he had been an employee at a local restaurant. Ho allegedly broke into a property and started a fire as an act of revenge.
As Douglass chased Ho on foot, acquiescence was far from Ho’s response: he spun and shot at Douglass with a .38 caliber handgun. This account of the happening aligns with the reports from the period and the memorial tribute posted on the Lower Township police website.
Despite sustaining a gunshot wound, Douglass managed to return fire, hitting Ho in his hand. He crawled back to his patrol vehicle and radioed a distress signal for assistance. Regrettably, the support arrived too late to save him.
The shooting spurred an intense investigation. The Lower Township police spearheaded the efforts with the aid of the FBI and other teams, including the police from New York City. In April of the same year, Ho was ultimately cornered and apprehended while residing in New York.
In the midst of processing his personal grief, Douglass Jr. has set out to commemorate his father’s legacy. He embarked on a mission to produce a documentary, titled “The Man Behind Badge 134”, focused on his father’s murder and the ensuing investigation.
Earlier this year, a preview of the documentary was uploaded to YouTube by No Luck Productions. The film, which Douglass Jr. has described as a physically and emotionally draining endeavour, compounds archival news footage with recent in-depth conversations with those who worked with or knew Douglass Sr. Additionally, the documentary captures the chaos presented by managing a house fire occurring simultaneously with the shooting of an officer.