A 14-year-old suspect was taken into custody on murder charges following a shootout with Newark, New Jersey police officers that left one officer dead and another hospitalized. The shootout occurred while officers were investigating a report of illegal firearms in the city’s North Ward. Officer Joseph Azcona, a five-year veteran of the police department, was shot and killed while still in his patrol car. The 26-year-old officer was pronounced dead at the hospital. The second officer involved in the shooting was also injured but was in stable condition.
The teenage suspect was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Four other individuals were also placed into custody and were being questioned by police and county investigators. The 14-year-old is facing charges of murder, attempted murder, and illegal weapons possession.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy urged people to pray for the officers’ families and all law enforcement officers. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called the shooting a heinous act and expressed frustration that a 14-year-old was involved in a shootout with police. Baraka emphasized the need for the community to work together to prevent children from handling guns and engaging in violent behavior. The incident is being monitored by the state attorney general’s office, and further details about the circumstances of the shooting have not been disclosed.
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