Clark Police Provide Update On Officer-Involved Shooting

CLARK, NJ — A knife-wielding Clark man was shot and injured by police after threatening locals and coming at officers, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Wednesday.

At 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a man later — identified as Emmanuel Goda, 36, of Clark — was reportedly threatening local residents, lunging at passing vehicles with a knife, and otherwise acting erratically in the area of Lake and Cellar avenues in Clark, according to authorities.

When Goda was ordered to stop and drop his weapon multiple times by police, he instead came toward an officer. An officer fired a single shot from his service weapon, hitting Goda in the torso, Park said.

Goda was transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

Two police officers were also taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. No civilians or other officers were injured.

Goda since has been charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree attempted aggravated assault, and two related weapons offenses, with bail set at $600,000 by state Superior Court Judge William Daniel.

As a result of the police investigation, Lake Avenue was closed from Oakridge Road into Scotch Plains, police said in an alert.

The Prosecutor’s Office’s Shooting Response Team is continuing to investigate this incident with assistance from the Union County Sheriff’s Office Identification Unit and the Union County Police Department Ballistics Unit.
Anyone with information is being urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Detective Ryan Kirsh at 908-527- 4633.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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