Authorities in Union County are continuing to investigate a vehicle chase from Mountainside that ended in Newark with two officers injured Monday.
According to Mountainside Police, at approximately 7:09 a.m., a resident reported a white Lexus with NY registration driving slowly and appearing suspicious in their neighborhood.
Police say the witness alerted Mountainside Police with the vehicle plate number where a computer check of the registration confirmed it to be stolen from Closter, NJ (Bergen County)
According to police, it was later determined that the suspects attempted to steal vehicles at this time.
Police officers Kevin Pierre and Timothy Stasyshyn were occupying a marked patrol car when they observed the vehicle traveling Route 22 East and attempted to stop the vehicle with their emergency lights and sirens, at which time it fled from them.
Mountainside officials said Police officers Pierre and Stasyshyn, now assisted by officer Eric Pastore pursued the fleeing vehicle on Route 22 East to the Garden State Parkway North then onto Route 78 East, where it exited onto Route 21.
“At this time, the fleeing stolen vehicle struck the Mountainside Police car causing injury to both police officers just before the four male occupants fleeing from the vehicle on foot,” Mountainside Police said.
Police officers gave chase across the busy lanes of traffic on the major roadway.
One suspect was arrested by Officer Pierre, who was injured while making the arrest and was assisted by an F.B.I. agent in the area.
A perimeter was established with assistance from Port Authority Police and New Jersey State Police to contain the three suspects in a wooded area.
Police said two additional suspects were taken into custody by State Police and Port Authority Police, one remains at large.
A follow-up investigation led to the recovery of a loaded handgun in the area where the two suspects were taken into custody.
Police said nine key fobs were recovered inside the stolen vehicle and on the suspects. Six of which have been linked by detectives to be from cars reported as stolen.
According to police, the three arrested are suspects in numerous violent crimes throughout New Jersey.
Two adult males and one juvenile, age 16, were taken into custody.
Mr. Khalyl Harley, 23, Mr. Isaac Zackery-Barnes, 24, both believed to be from Newark and a 16-year-old male from East Orange.
All three have been charged with multiple indictable offenses and were lodged in the Union County Jail or Juvenile Detention as of last night, awaiting a detention hearing.
One police officer was treated and released at Overlook Hospital for his injury and is not yet medically cleared to return to duty.
Police said a private physician has treated the second officer.