Newark NJ police officers recently arrested a man who appeared to be reaching for a shotgun on a city street.
Newark police officers were on patrol in the area of Norwood Street and Lindsley Avenue when they saw two men walking on the street. According to the officers, one of the men appeared to have the butt of a gun sticking out of his clothing.
The officers got out of their patrol car and walked toward the men. At that point, the suspects allegedly started to run away. The officers pursued the suspects on foot.
The officers eventually caught up to the suspect who reportedly had a weapon in his possession. Unable to get away, the suspect then allegedly walked toward the officers and attempted to remove the gun from his pants.
The officers immediately responded by drawing their weapons and ordering the suspect to stop and drop to the ground. Thankfully, there was no need for shots to be fired because the suspect complied with the officers’ instructions.
The suspect, who lives in Irvington NJ, was placed under arrest. A subsequent search of the suspect reportedly turned up a loaded 12-gauge shotgun.
The suspect is likely to be charged with several weapons offenses, including unlawful possession of a weapon. He could also be charged with aggravated assault for allegedly attempting to point a shotgun at police.
Meanwhile, the Newark police director commended the patrol officers for acting quickly and helping to thwart a potentially violent confrontation.
The Newark Police Department has asked that anyone with information about this incident or any other illegal activity in Newark please call the police department’s Crime Stoppers tip line at 877-NWK-TIPS or 877-NWK-GUNS.
For additional information about this case, see the NJ.com article entitled “Man Arrested in Newark After Allegedly Trying to Pull Shotgun on Cops.”