New Jersey prosecutors said a 14-year-old boy was charged with murder Saturday after he gunned down a police officer and injured another during a shootout in Newark the night before.
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said the teen, who hasn’t been identified, was also wounded in the exchange after he opened fire on police with an automatic weapon.
Detective Joseph Azcona, 26, died in the shooting, according to police. He was a five-year veteran of the department.
The second officer and the teen were both taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds, police said. They are expected to survive.
“They were doing their jobs getting intelligence about guns on the street and they went to the scene, a scene many of us would not have gone to, knowing that danger lives there,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said Saturday during a press conference, “They went anyway, and unfortunately, one of our officers did not recover from that.”
Prosecutors said Detective Azcona and his partner were working with FBI and ATF agents around 6:30 p.m. Friday when they approached a group of people suspected of having illegal weapons.
Mr. Stephens said Detective Azcona was shot “before he even had the opportunity to leave his police car.”
Authorities returned fire, officials said, and were able to take four other people into custody following the shooting.
“We need to focus laser sharp on trying to find the reason why this 14-year-old was in the situation that he was — had a gun, felt he could use it against police,” Mr. Stephens said. “That’s a crazy situation. That’s one that cannot go unchecked.”
Prosecutors said the 14-year-old suspect is facing murder, attempted murder and illegal weapons charges.
