Cop Shot Dead In Newark, Teen Arrested (What We Know So Far)

NEWARK, NJ — More details have emerged about a fatal shootout that took place between a teen and police officers in New Jersey’s largest city last weekend.

A 14-year-old suspect has been accused of shooting two officers on Friday night in Newark. One of the officers died and the other is recovering in the hospital. The teen gunman was also wounded and hospitalized, authorities said.

Here’s what we know so far.

WHAT HAPPENED?

According to police, the shootout took place around 6:30 p.m. at Broadway and Carteret Street, a busy intersection that is located near an elementary school, a church and several restaurants (see photos above).

The encounter began when officers went to investigate several people who they believed had illegal firearms – and were met with gunfire, authorities said.

Officer Joseph Azcona, 25, was shot before he got a chance to step out of the police car. Another officer was also hit by gunfire, authorities said.

Witnesses reported hearing a string of gunshots after they saw officers running down the street on a commercial strip between a McDonald’s and White Castle restaurants near the Passaic River.

“It sounded like a car accident and it went boom, boom, boom,” a witness who works in the area told CBS New York.

Both officers were taken to University Hospital in Newark after the shooting. Azcona died around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.

The other officer – whose identity has not been released at the request of the police department – suffered injuries and was initially described as “fighting for their life.” Authorities said Saturday that the wounds are “non-fatal.”

The accused shooter was also hit by gunfire during the encounter. He was hospitalized and is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office held a press conference on Saturday to discuss the shooting. The conference included participation from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the Newark Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI.

Watch video footage here, or view it below.

ARREST, MURDER CHARGE

Police took five people into custody after the shooting, including the accused gunman: a 14-year-old male.

The juvenile – whose name has not been released – has been charged with murder, attempted murder and possession of illegal weapons.

“This is a continuing investigation, so we’re not going to be able to talk much more about the circumstances,” acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II said.

“However, we'll say this,” he added. “Obviously, any sort of a gun interaction like this is the sort of thing that happens far too often.”

“We need to focus laser sharp on trying to find the reason why this 14-year-old was in the situation that he was … had a gun … felt he could use it against the police,” Stephens said. “That's a crazy situation. That's one that cannot go unchecked.”

MOURNING A POLICE OFFICER: ‘WE LOST A TRUE HERO’

Azcona was part of an intelligence unit and has been a detective for the last two years. His death has left his peers reeling, Newark Director of Public Safety Emanuel Miranda said.

“Our hearts are heavy right now … we lost a true hero,” Miranda mourned. “We're leaning on one another for support.”

The community continues to mourn for the five-year veteran of the NPD, who is survived by his parents and five brothers.

A funeral is scheduled to take place at 10:30 a.m. on Friday at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, 89 Ridge Street in Newark.

Azcona’s mother, Martha Vargas, said that being a cop was her son’s dream ever since he was a child. “That was my baby,” the heartbroken parent said.

Gov. Phil Murphy said the late officer “represented the very best of law enforcement: honor, integrity, professionalism and a deep commitment to serving the public.”

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said Azcona’s death was a tragic loss, and pledged that those responsible for the “horrific exchange of gunfire” will be “brought to justice.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said the shooting was a “heinous, callous disregard for humanity.” But he also said it raises a lot of questions about whether there are societal issues that may have contributed to the tragedy.

The mayor said he texted his wife, Linda Baraka, after the shooting on Friday night. She texted back that “all of this makes me sad” – and it made him realize how many tragic aspects of the shooting there were.

“I'm thinking: maybe she’s sad that the police officer is dead … or sad that a 14-year-old can get their hands on an automatic weapon … or sad that a 14-year-old would think that they should shoot at a police officer … or sad that our system has not figured out how to keep guns out of kids’ hands,” Baraka said.

It’s a collective problem that the community will have to face together, he said.

“We just have to do a better job,” Baraka insisted. “I have to do a better job. Our families have to do a better job. The community has to do a better job at making sure that our children are not handling guns in the street, shooting at police officers.”

“This is not a police problem,” he added. “This is our problem.”

CRIME IN NEWARK

The violent crime rate increased in Newark last year, but it continues to be a big improvement from past decades, recent statistics show.

New Jersey’s largest city saw a 9 percent rise in overall violent crime last year, including a 10 percent increase in robberies and an 11 percent jump in aggravated assaults. The city is also seeing spikes in thefts (47 percent) and car burglaries (60 percent).

However, Newark also saw a 23 percent decrease in murders, a 9 percent decrease in non-fatal shootings and a 9 percent drop in overall property crime, including stolen cars (35 percent).

Other crime rates remained relatively steady, including rape (3 percent decrease) and burglaries (1 percent increase).

Despite the uptick in violent crime last year, Newark is still seeing much less violence than it did in previous decades, officials have said.

“This year’s crime stats reflect reductions in every crime category when compared to Newark’s crime stats from almost 60 years ago,” Miranda said in December.

“Our data shows that Newark experienced 84 murders in 1967,” he continued. “While one murder is one too many, that statistic has been reduced by 56 percent this year.”

Some of the improvements have been due to ongoing police crackdowns on illegal guns and warrant sweeps for violent crime suspects. But Newark officials have also credited part of the turnaround from past decades to a new approach to policing, which views crime and violence as a “public health” issue that needs to be attacked in several ways – not simply making more arrests.

The city recently began diverting some of its policing budget to the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (OVPTR), which runs anti-violence programs and supports local community groups.

Meanwhile, nonprofits, groups and community leaders across the city have been tapped in an attempt to address the root causes of violence, reaching out to local youth and holding peace marches across Newark.

In addition, city-employed social workers have graduated and taken the field alongside cops, a significant addition in a city where about one in four calls that police get are for “social intervention.”

• See Related: Obama Praises Newark's Efforts To Stop Violence By Boosting Its Youth
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• See Related: Newark Mom Lost 3 Sons To Violence. She's Helping Her City Fight Back

In the video below, police hold a press conference about Friday's fatal shooting

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