An hours-long cat-and-mouse pursuit of armed suspects wanted for a carjacking in NYC and shots fired in Newark ended in the city's Ironbound section with a crash, an injured officer, and a civilian suffering non-fatal injuries in the Ironbound section this evening.
The encounter began just before noon when several Essex County municipalities began chasing a black BMW X5 occupied by four suspects and were last seen on Central Avenue.
Throughout the day, police attempted to pull over the speeding vehicle that reportedly fired shots at individuals on 15th Avenue around 5 p.m.
According to reports, the suspected driver inside the vehicle barreled through multiple areas of Newark and entered Elizabeth shortly before 5:30 p.m.
At approximately 6 p.m., police cornered the vehicle near the intersection of Raymond Boulevard and Penn Plaza East, where the suspect struck a police car and then sped to the intersection of Lafayette Avenue and Liberty. Four suspects bailed from the car and led cops on a pursuit after crashing into a pole.
Police captured three suspects after a brief chase but not before an officer suffered injuries after falling.
The final assailant was captured nearby and a gun was recovered. Police say at least one of the suspects was a 16-year-old boy.
According to reports, the civilian refused medical attention.
The incident remains under investigation.