By: Richard L. Smith
A violent gunpoint carjacking in Union County set off a high-speed pursuit that touched off in over a half dozen towns and ended in a trail of collisions resulting in a crash with injuries in Essex County Monday evening.
Kenilworth Police were dispatched to the Acme Parking lot on Kenilworth Boulevard to investigate reports of a carjacking in progress around 6:30 p.m.
Upon arrival, police were told by the victim that several black males armed with a gun approached and demanded their black Ashton Martin.
The suspect entered the vehicle and sped from the scene.
Area Police departments were alerted for the vehicle that had reported NJ license plate numbers "S67-NSG".
The suspect inside the carjacked vehicle barreled into East Orange which got Bloomfield Police involved then into Newark where the suspects led officers on a pursuit through several wards and caused at least two collisions during the chase.
Police say the chase ended in the area of Madison Avenue and South 15th Street, with a police car crashing into the front driveway of a home and the suspects bailing from the carjacked vehicle.
The assailants engaged police on a foot pursuit through the community.
Two officers were transported to University Hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries and are expected to recover.
Officials said three police cruisers were damaged during the pursuit.
According to police, three suspects were taken into custody while SWAT surrounded a house in the 200 block of South 14th Street after police believe one of the suspects fled into a home.
As of late Monday night, all suspects were taken into custody.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office was called to the scene to assist in the active and ongoing investigation.