Knife-Wielding Man Charged At Cop, Civilian In South Jersey: Prosecutor

VINELAND, NJ — A knife-wielding man charged toward a police officer and a civilian, resulting in the cop shooting and wounding the suspect Friday morning in Vineland, authorities said.

The suspect, a 28-year-old Vineland man who faces several charges, was airlifted to Cooper University Medical Center in Camden, where he was listed in stable condition, the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office said. The altercation injured the civilian shortly before the shooting, but they were treated and released from the same hospital, law enforcement said.

The suspect was charged with criminal attempted homicide, two counts of aggravated assault and weapons-related offenses. The prosecutor's office is investigating the officer-involved shooting.

The county agency didn't publicly identify anyone involved.

The altercation occurred just after 11:15 a.m. Friday, when a Vineland officer was dispatched to the 500 block of E Birch Street for a call to service, the prosecutor's office said. The officer encountered a man with a large knife, authorities said.

The officer fired his service weapon twice when the man charged at him and the civilian, the prosecutor's office said. The agency reported no injuries to the officer.