Newark Man Leads Police on Wild Car Chase on Birthday

A Newark man sent police on a wild car chase through the city on his birthday Monday, the state Attorney General's office announced.

Corey Bland, 38, careened into several vehicles and was shot several times by police before the chase came to an end on 18th Avenue, according to Paul Loriquet, spokesman for the Attorney General's office.

The mad dash began at 7:45 p.m., when state troopers from the Metro North Unit began pursuing Bland in a 2005 Audi through Newark and onto Interstate 78. Bland allegedly had stolen the car, which had Pennsylvania license plates, in an armed carjacking reported earlier that day.

After troopers ended their pursuit because of safety concerns, Summit Township police resumed the chase back into Newark, when Bland slammed the Audi into a state police car at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Lincoln Park. Bland then rammed a Newark police car head on and sped toward Newark police and troopers, who exited their vehicles and opened fire on the Audi in defense.

Bland turned onto 18th Avenue and crashed into a trooper and Newark police car, as well as several parked cars, Loriquet said. Police fired a second round of shots at Bland after he slammed the Audi into scaffolding at the corner of Livingston Street. He sustained several gunshot wounds and was transported to University Hospital where he is in critical but stable condition.

Bland was charged with nine counts of second-degree attempted murder, nine counts of second-degree aggravated assault and three counts of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (vehicle). Additional charges are pending.

The troopers and officers whose vehicles were hit by the Audi were treated for minor injuries.

The incident is under investigation by the Attorney General's Shooting Response Team.

[Editor's note: This story originally published at 1:01 p.m. Tuesday. It has since been updated.]