Jamal Martel Brooks, a 33-year-old from Turtle Creek, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on 18 counts, including robbery, carjacking, and firearms violations, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Tuesday. These charges stem from alleged criminal activities, and if convicted, Brooks could face a sentence ranging from 63 years to life in prison, along with potential fines totaling $45 million.
According to the indictment, Brooks is accused of committing two carjackings and multiple business robberies in Pittsburgh from January 2023 to January 2024. The allegations also detail the use of a firearm during these incidents.
Brooks is also facing separate charges linked to the shooting of a Monroeville Police sergeant in January. On January 3, police responded to reports of an armed robbery at a Crumbl Cookie located in the Miracle Mile Shopping Center. Witnesses described the suspect as a man dressed in black and armed with a handgun.
Responding officers located a man matching the description behind the shopping center. Body camera footage reportedly captured Brooks firing at a marked police cruiser, hitting the officer three times, including in the hip and elbow.
After the shooting, Brooks was apprehended and the injured officer was transported to Forbes Regional Hospital, where he was initially reported in critical but stable condition. Monroeville Police Chief Kenneth Cole confirmed on Wednesday that the officer is set to return to work this week after a recovery period of nearly ten months.
In addition to the federal charges, Brooks is scheduled for a non-jury trial in Allegheny County court in January for related charges, including assault on a law enforcement officer, attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and illegal possession of a firearm. This is not Brooks’s first brush with the law as he previously served a 17-month sentence in 2019 for firearm possession as a felon, highlighting a troubling pattern in his criminal history.
