Chatham Firefighter Thwarts Gunpoint Robbery On Drive To Day Job

NEWARK, NJ — A Chatham Township firefighter, who's also a New Jersey Transit police officer, thwarted a gunpoint robbery on the way to his day job, according to authorities. Andrew Ruckriegel saw two people holding a victim at gunpoint Wednesday in Newark, the NJ Transit Police Department said.

Ruckriegel was off-duty and driving to work in his personal vehicle, authorities said. When Ruckriegel saw the armed robbery, he called for additional police and left his vehicle to speak with the suspects and victim.

More police arrived, and the suspects tried to run away, according to officials. But the officers quickly caught them and recovered a replica firearm and all proceeds, police said.

Ruckriegel is a firefighter for the Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Department. He's also an EMT and served in the Army National Guard for seven years, according to the agency.

"We applaud and thank Andrew for his continued service to our community and country," the fire department said on social media.

Thanks for reading. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter and follow the Chatham Patch Facebook page.