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| 2 Newark Police Officers Shot While Responding to 911 Call, Officials Say | 2 Newark Police Officers Shot While Responding to 911 Call, Officials Say |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Two uniformed police officers were shot on Tuesday afternoon in Newark, the largest city in New Jersey, as they responded to a 911 call about a man wanted for a separate shooting there last week, law enforcement and state officials said. | Two uniformed police officers were shot on Tuesday afternoon in Newark, the largest city in New Jersey, as they responded to a 911 call about a man wanted for a separate shooting there last week, law enforcement and state officials said. |
| The officers, from the Newark Police Department, were shot at close range in a parking lot behind an apartment building on a quiet street of tidy homes, neat lawns and yellowing maple trees. A law enforcement official said one officer was shot in the leg and the other in the shoulder, and that neither of their injuries was life-threatening. | The officers, from the Newark Police Department, were shot at close range in a parking lot behind an apartment building on a quiet street of tidy homes, neat lawns and yellowing maple trees. A law enforcement official said one officer was shot in the leg and the other in the shoulder, and that neither of their injuries was life-threatening. |
| Officials identified the suspected shooter as Kendall Howard, 30, of East Orange, N.J. The gunman remained at large on Tuesday night. | Officials identified the suspected shooter as Kendall Howard, 30, of East Orange, N.J. The gunman remained at large on Tuesday night. |
| A law enforcement official said the suspected shooter was also the man wanted in connection with last week’s shooting. | |
| Federal, state and local law enforcement surrounded a residential building in the area for several hours on Tuesday while officers conducted door-to-door searches of its apartments for the gunman. But at a news conference on Tuesday night, they said he had not been found. | Federal, state and local law enforcement surrounded a residential building in the area for several hours on Tuesday while officers conducted door-to-door searches of its apartments for the gunman. But at a news conference on Tuesday night, they said he had not been found. |
| “At some point in time he must have exited the building,” said Fritz G. Fragé, the city’s director of public safety, at the conference on Tuesday night. | “At some point in time he must have exited the building,” said Fritz G. Fragé, the city’s director of public safety, at the conference on Tuesday night. |
| Ras J. Baraka, the mayor of Newark, said local residents should stay indoors while police officers searched for the man. | Ras J. Baraka, the mayor of Newark, said local residents should stay indoors while police officers searched for the man. |
| Mr. Baraka said the officers came to the building, at 25 Van Velsor Place, shortly after someone called 911 to report a sighting of the man wanted for last week’s shooting. Officers did not find the man inside the building but ran into him on their way outside. | Mr. Baraka said the officers came to the building, at 25 Van Velsor Place, shortly after someone called 911 to report a sighting of the man wanted for last week’s shooting. Officers did not find the man inside the building but ran into him on their way outside. |
| “When they were leaving the building, he was likely entering the building,” the mayor said. He said the officers were shot “at close, close range” but were both in stable condition. | “When they were leaving the building, he was likely entering the building,” the mayor said. He said the officers were shot “at close, close range” but were both in stable condition. |
| State Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, who represents the city in the state legislature, had told The New York Times earlier on Tuesday that the officers were shot by a gunman firing from the roof of a building in the area, but the mayor said that was not the case. | State Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, who represents the city in the state legislature, had told The New York Times earlier on Tuesday that the officers were shot by a gunman firing from the roof of a building in the area, but the mayor said that was not the case. |
| The police taped off several blocks of Chancellor Avenue, and emergency vehicles swarmed the scene on Tuesday afternoon. Several helicopters hovered overhead. | The police taped off several blocks of Chancellor Avenue, and emergency vehicles swarmed the scene on Tuesday afternoon. Several helicopters hovered overhead. |
| Later in the afternoon, police slowly drove a military-style crane down the street past stately brick houses, with a shielded and elevated platform held aloft in front of it. Federal, state and local law enforcement authorities were at the scene on Tuesday assisting the Newark Police Department, a law enforcement official said. | Later in the afternoon, police slowly drove a military-style crane down the street past stately brick houses, with a shielded and elevated platform held aloft in front of it. Federal, state and local law enforcement authorities were at the scene on Tuesday assisting the Newark Police Department, a law enforcement official said. |
| Tanisha Arrington, 34, watched the chaos erupt on Tuesday. She heard a burst of gunfire and looked across the street to see an officer limping to take cover behind a pole. A second officer was lying prone across a clump of bushes beside a police car in an alley. | Tanisha Arrington, 34, watched the chaos erupt on Tuesday. She heard a burst of gunfire and looked across the street to see an officer limping to take cover behind a pole. A second officer was lying prone across a clump of bushes beside a police car in an alley. |
| Another round of gunfire erupted, and Ms. Arrington said a man next to her on the sidewalk yelled at a group of nearby officers to go retrieve their fallen colleagues. | Another round of gunfire erupted, and Ms. Arrington said a man next to her on the sidewalk yelled at a group of nearby officers to go retrieve their fallen colleagues. |
| “He’s shot!” Ms. Arrington said the man yelled. “Come help! He’s shot! Come get your partner!” | “He’s shot!” Ms. Arrington said the man yelled. “Come help! He’s shot! Come get your partner!” |
| She watched as the group of officers poured into the alley to retrieve the injured men. | She watched as the group of officers poured into the alley to retrieve the injured men. |
| The mayor said the gunman fired the first shot, but that officers returned fire. | The mayor said the gunman fired the first shot, but that officers returned fire. |
| “The gentleman retreated back into the building and we are, right now, we are clearing the building out,” he told reporters. | “The gentleman retreated back into the building and we are, right now, we are clearing the building out,” he told reporters. |
| D’Andre Mentor, 23, was working from home in his apartment on Chancellor Avenue when he heard a commotion outside that made him run downstairs. | D’Andre Mentor, 23, was working from home in his apartment on Chancellor Avenue when he heard a commotion outside that made him run downstairs. |
| A few blocks away down the wide, tree-lined street he could see what looked like more than a dozen police officers surrounding a building. | A few blocks away down the wide, tree-lined street he could see what looked like more than a dozen police officers surrounding a building. |
| Suddenly, a car near the group of police burst into flames, but the police seemed to ignore it, focusing on the building in front of them, he said. A few minutes later, a fire truck came and extinguished the blaze, he said. | Suddenly, a car near the group of police burst into flames, but the police seemed to ignore it, focusing on the building in front of them, he said. A few minutes later, a fire truck came and extinguished the blaze, he said. |
| “You came outside and boom, it’s a whole standoff happening outside your house,” Mr. Mentor said. “Nothing like this ever happens here.” | “You came outside and boom, it’s a whole standoff happening outside your house,” Mr. Mentor said. “Nothing like this ever happens here.” |
| As law enforcement officers and the news media descended upon the generally quiet corner of Newark, local residents came outside to watch the scene. They leaned against porch railings and craned their necks to peer over the crowds and the caution tape. | As law enforcement officers and the news media descended upon the generally quiet corner of Newark, local residents came outside to watch the scene. They leaned against porch railings and craned their necks to peer over the crowds and the caution tape. |
| Antonieo Williams, 49, a food delivery worker, said many people in Newark felt like the police contributed to an environment that often felt unsafe. He was afraid the police would kill the gunman when they found him. | Antonieo Williams, 49, a food delivery worker, said many people in Newark felt like the police contributed to an environment that often felt unsafe. He was afraid the police would kill the gunman when they found him. |
| Mr. Williams said shootings in the area were not unheard of, but the large influx of police officers and journalists on Tuesday was. Yaquis Jones, 49, a construction worker, agreed. | Mr. Williams said shootings in the area were not unheard of, but the large influx of police officers and journalists on Tuesday was. Yaquis Jones, 49, a construction worker, agreed. |
| “When a police officer gets shot they send in the army, they send in the cavalry,” Mr. Jones said. “A human life is a human life — this is what the response should be every time a person gets shot. But they’re not going to do that for us.” | “When a police officer gets shot they send in the army, they send in the cavalry,” Mr. Jones said. “A human life is a human life — this is what the response should be every time a person gets shot. But they’re not going to do that for us.” |
| Indeed, the shooting comes amid growing concerns over crime and disorder in New York and across the country. | Indeed, the shooting comes amid growing concerns over crime and disorder in New York and across the country. |
| “This level of violence must be stopped and condemned by everyone,” Patrick Colligan, the president of the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association, a union that represents more than 33,000 law enforcement officers, said on Twitter. | “This level of violence must be stopped and condemned by everyone,” Patrick Colligan, the president of the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association, a union that represents more than 33,000 law enforcement officers, said on Twitter. |
| But official statistics sometimes complicate those fears. | But official statistics sometimes complicate those fears. |
| Crime in New York City approached record lows before the pandemic, and remains safer than at many times in its troubled past. The number of murders in the city is lower than in many other large cities in the United States, but crimes like burglary, auto theft, rape and felony assault have risen significantly in recent years. | Crime in New York City approached record lows before the pandemic, and remains safer than at many times in its troubled past. The number of murders in the city is lower than in many other large cities in the United States, but crimes like burglary, auto theft, rape and felony assault have risen significantly in recent years. |
| And crime in Newark has risen only slightly — 2 percent — since this time last year, according to statistics released at the end of October by the Newark Police Department. That included a decline in violent crimes, including rape, murder and aggravated assault, but significant increases in all kinds of robbery and theft. | And crime in Newark has risen only slightly — 2 percent — since this time last year, according to statistics released at the end of October by the Newark Police Department. That included a decline in violent crimes, including rape, murder and aggravated assault, but significant increases in all kinds of robbery and theft. |
| As reporters waited for the mayor to provide details about the incident on Tuesday evening, calls went out over the police radio frequency about another shooting, about three miles away. Two adults and a 6-year-old girl were shot, officials said. The girl suffered a collapsed lung and is expected to survive. | As reporters waited for the mayor to provide details about the incident on Tuesday evening, calls went out over the police radio frequency about another shooting, about three miles away. Two adults and a 6-year-old girl were shot, officials said. The girl suffered a collapsed lung and is expected to survive. |
| William K. Rashbaum, Hurubie Meko and Shlomo Schorr contributed reporting. Sheelagh McNeill contributed research. | William K. Rashbaum, Hurubie Meko and Shlomo Schorr contributed reporting. Sheelagh McNeill contributed research. |