Two police officers were shot in Newark, New Jersey on Tuesday and the suspect had arrested.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office announced a suspect, identified as Kendall Howard, has been apprehended and charged with the attempted murder of the two officers.
According to an earlier “wanted” notice from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Newark Police officers had approached Howard near Chancellor Ave and Van Velsor Place for questioning on Tuesday when he opened fire. Both wounded officers were rushed to University Hospital in Newark and they remain hospitalized.
In a Tuesday evening press briefing, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said Newark Police officers had received a call from a concerned citizen who had identified Howard as the suspect in a previous shooting incident. Barak said Newark Police officers were responding to that citizen’s call when they approached Howard and he pulled out a gun an opened fire on the officers at close range.
On Tuesday night, Baraka said law enforcement officers were searching a nearby building for Howard, but officials had eventually concluded he was not in the building. Howard was ultimately arrested after 11 a.m. on Wednesday, NJ.com reported.
Law enforcement sources initially told NBC 4 New York that two officers were shot by a suspect armed with a long gun that they believed the suspect had fired from either a rooftop or a window. The publication has since reported the shooting occurred in a parking lot and that a senior law enforcement official attributed the confusion to residents thought they heard gunshots from above.
During his press conference, Baraka said he’s not sure what type of weapon the suspect actually used but said “I don’t suspect there was any long gun used in this.”
One officer was reportedly hit in the neck and the other was reportedly hit in the leg. Baraka confirmed one officer was shot in the leg and suffered a “small fracture” while the other officer had a gunshot that “grazed his neck.”
An official with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) told American Military News the ATFs Newark field office is assisting in the ongoing situation. An FBI official also confirmed FBI agents are assisting at this time.
Freelance journalist Sotiri Dimpinoudis tweeted video from the area, showing numerous police vehicles on a street in Newark that had been taped off.
Dimpinoudis also shared footage purporting to show officers being rushed to an area hospital after being struck by gunfire.
“I am aware of and closely monitoring an unfolding situation in Newark,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a tweet at 2:40 p.m. ET on Tuesday. “I am in touch with local authorities and the State is providing resources as requested. We will continue to support local law enforcement and ensure that all residents are safe.”
The Newark Police Department could not immediately be reached for comment.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates as more information becomes available.
This article has been updated to reflect newly obtained information that the shooter shot the two police officers at a close distance, not from an elevated position as local news reports initially stated via unnamed law enforcement officials.
