Chester Man Sentenced to State Prison for Gas Station Shooting

By [Author Name], [Publication Name]

MEDIA COURTHOUSE — A Chester resident, Jermear Sudler, aged 42, has been sentenced to 8½-22 years in a state prison after pleading guilty to two counts of serious bodily injury and a firearms offense for his involvement in a shooting incident at a gas station last year.

The trial of Sudler was set to commence next week before Common Pleas Court Judge G. Michael Green, where he would have faced charges of attempted murder and related offenses. However, Sudler decided to enter a plea agreement negotiated by Assistant District Attorney Jerry Rassias and defense counsel Paige Benedetto.

The incident occurred on the morning of March 22, 2022, outside the Ninth Street Coastal at Tilghman Street. Sudler was swiftly taken into custody shortly after the shooting took place, as reported by the authorities.

During a preliminary hearing last year, Chester Detective Brian Pot presented crucial evidence, including video surveillance footage capturing the shooting incident and an earlier interaction between the victim and the defendant.

As described by Pot during the hearing, the footage from the Eagle Save Mart at Ninth and Kerlin streets showed Sudler refueling his red car at approximately 7:30 a.m. Detectives later confirmed that the vehicle was registered under Sudler’s wife’s name.

Additional videos revealed one of the two victims at the Sunoco gas station across the street, seated in a white vehicle. Sudler can be seen driving up to the location, causing the victim to raise his hands in the air before Sudler drove away in a northerly direction on Concord Avenue.

Approximately an hour later, the same victim is seen exiting the store at 1425 W. Ninth St. and proceeding towards the white vehicle. Sudler, still driving the red car, enters the parking lot and fires multiple shots in the victim’s direction.

The footage, recorded at 8:19 a.m., captures the victim ducking as the shots are fired. Notably, no firearm or weapon is visible in the victim’s hands in any of the videos, whereas Sudler is clearly seen brandishing a handgun with a silver slide.

According to Pot’s testimony, Sudler unintentionally shot a woman who was sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle positioned between Sudler and his intended target. Although the woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries, she was promptly transported to Crozer-Chester Medical Center for medical treatment.

After the shooting, Sudler fled the scene, driving south on Tilghman Street. Investigators discovered five spent casings and a projectile behind the victim’s vehicle. The red car was later found on Kerlin Street, and Sudler was apprehended without any resistance. During a recorded interview, Sudler admitted to firing the gun at the male victim.

Subsequently, law enforcement officers recovered a firearm with a silver slide from Sudler’s mother’s house, which is situated across the street from his residence. It was revealed that Sudler possessed the weapon without a valid license, as he had been prohibited from doing so due to a prior conviction.

During the sentencing, Sudler made a request to the judge, asking for a recommendation to be placed in a nearby prison so that he could be closer to his ailing mother. Judge Green agreed to recommend either SCI Chester or SCI Phoenix in Montgomery County as possible locations for Sudler’s incarceration.

It is important to note that Sudler will not be eligible for early release. However, he was given credit for the time served from his arrest date. Additionally, as part of his sentence, Sudler has been ordered to forfeit the firearm and provide a DNA sample to the state police. Furthermore, he will be required to participate in vocational training, trauma therapy, and attend GED and parenting classes while in prison.