A retired NYPD officer heroically intervened in a robbery attempt at a Garfield NJ store and shot the suspect.
The robbery attempt reportedly occurred at the Tobacco Road store in Garfield, New Jersey. According to Essex County officials, the robbery was thwarted by a former NYC police detective who managed to shoot the suspect.
The details of the robbery attempt were as follows: The retired police officer was inside the store and helping out the owner, as well as the owner’s wife and the owner’s son. While the group was moving items around, the suspect allegedly entered the building. It was immediately apparent to the people inside that the suspect was likely up to no good because he was wearing a hoodie and carrying a handgun.
The suspect allegedly told everyone inside the store that he was robbing the place. The retired cop then grabbed the suspect by the hands and attempted to disarm him. During the ensuing struggle, the former police officer fell to the ground. When the suspect moved toward him in an aggressive manner, the ex-cop grabbed his own handgun and discharged it in direction of the suspect.
The robbery suspect sustained a gunshot wound in the leg, but he was still able to flee the store. Garfield NJ police officer later tracked down the suspect and placed him under arrest.
The former NYPD detective, who worked in the narcotics division in Queens NY, said that his instincts as a police officer kicked into gear when the robber approached the other victims.
The suspect, a 27-year-old man from Hasbrouck Heights NJ, faces very serious criminal charges for armed robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
The suspect is currently being held at the Essex County Jail in Newark NJ on a $500K bail amount.
To learn more about this case, read the New Jersey News 12 article, “Retired NYC Police Officer Shoots, Wounds Garfield Robbery Suspect.”
