An NYPD cop was blasted in the foot at a New Jersey hotel early Thursday by a suspect in a recent Manhattan shooting who was then shot dead by police, law enforcement sources said.
A New Jersey police officer was also wounded during the 12:30 a.m. clash at the Raritan Hotel on King Georges Post Road in Woodbridge Township, officials said.
The 46-year-old gunman was driving through New Jersey when his vehicle was pinged by a license plate reader in connection with a June 7 shooting at the East River Houses in East Harlem that left a 29-year-old man critically wounded, police sources said. That victim was shot in the head and remains at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell, police said.
After the plate was detected, New Jersey police alerted detectives from NYPD Manhattan North Homicide, who joined local police in tracking the driver to the hotel.
During the stand off, the gunman’s girlfriend came out of a hotel room and confronted police. As officers talked to her, the gunman emerged and opened fire at police.
Cops fatally shot the gunman during the exchange. His name was not immediately disclosed as cops track down family members.
The gunman had an address in Pocono Lake, Pa., as well as the Bronx, officials said.
His girlfriend was taken into custody. Charges against her were pending.
Both wounded officers are expected to recover.
NYPD officers, as well as New Jersey State Troopers and cops from police departments in Woodbridge Township and Edison, were involved in the shootout, state officials said.
The New Jersey state attorney general’s office of Public Integrity and Accountability was investigating the incident, Attorney General Matthew Platkin said Thursday.
“This incident is another reminder that our law enforcement officers risk their lives daily to keep our communities safe,” Platkin said in a statement. “Their resilience deserves our unwavering support. As the state’s top law enforcement officer, I am resolute in working with our law enforcement partners to complete a thorough and complete investigation and to do everything in my power to prevent this kind of violence against law enforcement in the future.”
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