Investigators searched the Newark apartment where the suspect in the shooting of two Newark police officers was believed to be hiding, but found that the man was nowhere to be found.
Police have identified the wanted man as Kendall Howard, 30, of East Orange.
Police said he opened fire on officers around 2 p.m. at Van Berser Place and Chancellor Avenue in Newark. They were trying to arrest a suspect in another shooting, reported CBS2’s Kevin Rincon.
The injured officer is recovering at the University Hospital.
Police were called after an apartment resident identified a man involved in last week’s shooting. That’s when they find him in the parking lot and get into a shootout.
For hours, extensive police, including the FBI and ATF, kept residents confined to their homes.
Eyewitness Rosalind Reeves said, “It was terrible. At first I thought it was firecrackers, but there were so many that I realized what they were.”
Newark Mayor Russ Baraka said residents called police after identifying a suspect in the shooting on a wanted flyer. A few minutes later, the police were combing the apartment building. As they were leaving, they found the suspect in the parking lot.
“The gentleman pulled out a gun and shot two police officers at close range. Bullets returned, fire returned. The gentleman returned to the building,” Baraka said.
That sparked a big reaction. Officers on the ground kept an eye out for gunmen, even on rooftops.
The policeman was taken to hospital.
“One was shot in the face and shot in the shoulder. He is in the hospital and underwent surgery. His condition is stable. They are holding him overnight. A police officer was shot in the leg, and he is also in the hospital in stable condition,” Newark Public Safety Commissioner Fritz Flagey said.
The suspect then returned inside, but after nearly eight hours of searching, the police came out empty-handed.
“The perpetrator is not in the building. A valid warrant has now been issued against the perpetrator,” Flagey said.
“This continues to be an aggressive investigation. We seek the cooperation and participation of the public to help identify and locate Mr. Howard. Thanks to our partnership, we are confident that all the resources we need will be worked out and deployed,” said Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
On the other hand, many are upset when they see their neighborhood turned into a crime scene.
“How do they expect people and their children to be safe after this? And is he still on the loose?” asked one man. “Even if not everyone can do it, maybe someone else can.”
“I’ve been standing here since 3:15 p.m. I’m angry and sad that something like this is happening in this neighborhood,” said building resident Victoria Emegara Wu. Told.
