Newark – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Police Director Eugene Venable announced today that the Newark Police Department, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force and the Professional Standards Bureau of the ECPOare investigating a police involved shooting.
Last night at approximately 10 p.m. Newark Police officers, working in a firearms interdiction team, were in the vicinity of South 9th Street and South Orange Avenue. As officers attempted to stop and interview a suspect, he entered a taxicab. The officers activated their lights and sirens to pull the cab over and the suspect bolted from the cab with the officers in a foot pursuit.
The suspect was shot once by a veteran police officer in the area of 163 South 6th Street during a struggle with officers. A weapon was recovered.
The suspect, who has not yet been identified, is in critical condition at University Hospital.
The police officer was taken to the hospital last night for observation but has been released.
“Whenever there is a police-involved shooting, the investigation is immediately turned over to the County Prosecutor’s Office for review. This is routine and is done in every such shooting to assure that all protocols were followed,” said Newark Police Director Venable. “As such, I await the outcome of their query before I comment any further on this matter,” he added.
No other information is available at this time. Additional information will be released when it becomes available.