WOODBRIDGE – A Woodbridge police officer and a New York City police detective are recovering from injuries suffered in a line-of-duty shooting in the township early Thursday morning while attempting to locate a New York City shooting suspect, according to New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.
Platkin said both officers have been discharged from a New Brunswick hospital and are in stable condition after suffering gunshot wounds in the incident.
Platkin said one suspect was shot and killed at the scene. The suspect's name has not been released yet pending notification of family members, he said.
The police involved fatal shooting occurred at Royal Albert's Palace, a hotel and banquet hall on King Georges Post Road in the Fords section, with a capacity for large crowds and large parking lot.
Platkin said it was through the use of automatic license plate reader technology that Edison police were alerted to the location of a person of interest in the area of Royal Albert's Palace hotel during the late evening hours on Wednesday. The vehicle was being sought in connection with a shooting in New York City that left the victim with life-threatening injuries.
Officers from the Edison and Woodbridge police departments responded to the Royal Albert’s Palace hotel where they located the unoccupied vehicle in the parking lot. Authorities notified the New York City Police Department and detectives from New York responded and briefed Woodbridge police personnel on the NYPD criminal investigation, Platkin said.
Law enforcement personnel were at the hotel conducting an interview with a civilian around 12:21 a.m. Thursday when the hotel's elevator doors opened and the person of interest in the NYPD investigation exited toward the lobby holding several bags, Platkin said.
A preliminary investigation indicates the individual dropped his bags and reached into a black backpack and gunfire was exchanged between law enforcement personnel and the person of interest. The person of interest and two police officers were struck during the exchange. Woodbridge police officers immediately began rendering medical aid to the individual until the arrival of EMS personnel but the man was later pronounced dead at the scene, Platkin said.
A handgun located near the man was recovered. Multiple shell casings, fired from different weapons, were also recovered and will be compared with the firearms that were discharged during the incident, Platkin said.
Platkin said the officers’ names are not being released at this time.
He said members of the New Jersey Attorney General's Shooting Response Team responded to the scene. He said state law requires that the death of any civilian in a police encounter be investigated by the Attorney General's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, and that investigation is ongoing.
Platkin said information and footage of the shooting will be released once certain aspects of the investigation are complete. The investigation also will be presented to a grand jury, in accordance with state law.
According to Platkin, New York police are expected to release more information about their shooting case.
Platkin did not indicate whether the suspect was staying at the hotel, or attending an event there, or reveal how many shots were fired by both the suspect and police
NBC New York reported the New York shooting being investigated was in the East Harlem section of that city and that a New York City police officer was shot in the foot and a New Jersey officer shot in the back in Woodbridge.
"This incident is another reminder that our law enforcement officers risk their lives daily to keep our communities safe. 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," Platkin said in a statement.
Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said he knows the injured township officer and that he was out of surgery for a non-life-treatening injury and was in stable condition.
Information about how long the officer has been with the department was not immediately available.
"We're proud of the job our officers did in this situation," the mayor said.
The attorney general said he has been in communication with both the Woodbridge Township Police Department and the New York City Police Department.
"While we’re grateful for the brave and swift actions taken by all who responded, we also remember that no police officer – or any member of law enforcement – should ever face this violence while performing their duties. Officers take enormous risks on a daily basis to keep our communities safe. We must continue to work together to prevent and disrupt gun violence of every kind in New Jersey," Platkin said.
Platkin also expressed appreciation to all the law enforcement agencies that responded to the incident and sent heartfelt thoughts to the injured officers, their police department and all families impacted by gun violence.
News videos from the scene show multiple police agencies, including New York City, responded to the area.
Several news agencies reported a white SUV was seen being towed from the scene, but it was unclear if the vehicle is part of the investigation.
The police shooting in Woodbridge was the second shooting in Middlesex County in two days.
On Wednesday morning two Carteret women were shot on Roosevelt Avenue. A 29-year-old woman, who has been identified as Jasvir Kaur, died from her injuries while a 20-year-old Carteret woman remains in critical condition in the hospital, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
Gaurav Gill, 19, of Washington state, has been arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder and weapons offenses in connection with that shooting, the prosecutor's office said.
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Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
