New Jersey police officer killed, second officer wounded in taking pictures by 14-year-old, authorities say

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A 14-year-old shot and killed a police officer and wounded one other Friday night in New Jersey, authorities stated, in a chaotic scene that witnesses described as seeing officers operating down a busy avenue earlier than they heard a volley of a dozen or extra gunshots.

The slain officer, 26-year-old Joseph Azcona, was a part of a staff of Newark police detectives and federal brokers that had gone to seize a suspect in an unlawful weapons sting when the officer was fired on in his car, authorities stated.

“He didn’t even get an opportunity to step out of the car earlier than he was struck,” Emanuel Miranda, Newark’s director of public security, advised a Saturday morning information convention with Newark’s mayor and high prosecutor.

Miranda known as Azcona a “true hero.”

The opposite officer who was struck was hospitalized with accidents that weren’t anticipated to be life-threatening, authorities stated. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka known as the taking pictures a “heinous, callous disregard for humanity” and that officers had gone to the scene understanding that “grave hazard was potential.”

Police took 5 folks into custody, together with the 14-year-old who was charged with homicide, tried homicide and possession of unlawful weapons, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stevens II advised the information convention.

The 14-year-old was shot and hospitalized with accidents that weren’t life threatening, Stevens stated.

Stevens didn’t determine the boy or the opposite 4 folks in custody who he stated had been present process questioning by investigators Saturday. Stevens and Miranda gave few different particulars about what led police to the group that fired on Azcona, the following police response or the shootout.

One gun was recovered, Stevens stated. It and officers’ weapons had been being evaluated to find out which ones had been fired and what number of photographs had been fired, he stated.

Azcona. a five-year veteran of the Newark police drive, was promoted to detective two years in the past and assigned to an intelligence unit that was the “better of the perfect,” Miranda stated.

Azcona and the opposite officer had been shot round 6:37 p.m. within the space of Broadway and Carteret after the staff of detectives and federal brokers went to analyze a report of unlawful firearms exercise, authorities stated. Witnesses stated they heard a string of gunshots after they noticed officers operating down the road on a business strip between a McDonald’s and White Fort eating places close to the Passaic River.

Witness Randy Mejia advised WCBS-TV proper earlier than he heard gunshots that he noticed officers operating.

“It appeared like a automotive accident and it went increase, increase, increase,” Mejia stated.

The wounded officers had been taken to College Hospital in Newark, the place Azcona was pronounced useless round 2:30 a.m., Stevens stated. Azcona’s mom, father and brother had been on the hospital to see him and grieve after the taking pictures, Miranda stated.

Police declined to determine the officer who was wounded.

Baraka expressed frustration that society hasn’t discovered a solution to stop a 14-year-old with a firearm from taking pictures at police.

“We simply need to do a greater job. I’ve to do a greater job. Our households need to do a greater job. The group has to do a greater job at ensuring that our kids are usually not dealing with weapons on the street, taking pictures at cops,” Baraka stated. “This isn’t a police drawback. That is our drawback. That is our collective drawback.”