A manhunt is underway for a suspect who shot two police officers at close range and left them hospitalized in Newark, New Jersey, on Tuesday, officials said.
Police are searching for Kendall Howard, 30, describing him as “armed and dangerous” in connection with the Tuesday shooting.
He’s been charged with two counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose by Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens.
The shooting unfolded around 1 p.m. as two officers were responding in the area of Chancellor Avenue and Van Velsor Place.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said that a concerned citizen called police regarding a suspect in a previous shooting that took place Oct. 28. Officers didn’t find that individual in the building, but upon exiting, they encountered him.
“There was a brief altercation with the gentleman, pulled a gun out, shot two police officers at close range, gunfire was returned,” Baraka said.
Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said in a news conference Tuesday evening that one officer was shot through the face into his shoulder. He underwent surgery and is in stable condition. The other officers was shot in the leg and also remains hospitalized in stable condition.
The names of the Newark police officers were not released.
Locals in the area were told to remain indoors and the building near the shooting was locked down and cleared out as authorities searched for the suspect inside.
It was later determined that the suspect was not in the building, and an active warrant for his arrest was put out. Baraka said that the suspect has a criminal history.
“We are on the lookout for him. U.S. marshals will be looking for him in various locations,” Fragé said.
It’s not clear how the suspect was able to leave the area unnoticed. Fragé explained there were “many entrances and exit” points in the building, including fires escapes. He said authorities are reviewing video surveillance footage from the building.
Multiple agencies including the FBI and ATF are assisting in the investigation.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted Tuesday: “We are praying for the speedy recovery of two police officers who were shot and injured in the line of duty today in Newark.”
“I am grateful to those who are working around the clock to ensure that the perpetrator of this heinous crime is apprehended and brought to justice,” he said.
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