A police officer and a suspect were wounded in a shootout Tuesday night in Camden, N.J., authorities said.
Neither the cop nor the suspect has been publicly identified. Investigators believe the officer was struck in his bulletproof vest and the bullet may have ricocheted into his arm, Philadelphia ABC affiliate WPVI reported.
The officer, a 2-year veteran of the Camden County Police Department, was in stable condition, while the suspect was in critical condition, according to NJ.com.
“There is some bruising on his chest, so it does appear a round did strike the vest,” Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez told WPVI. “I don’t know if that’s the same round that entered his arm.”
Officers were on patrol in Camden, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, when they noticed a person involved in “suspicious activity,” sources told local Fox affiliate WTXF. The suspect shot one officer, then a second officer returned fire and struck the suspect, police said.
Both the officer and the suspect were transported to the same hospital, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The suspect has been charged with first-degree attempted murder and various weapons crimes, NJ.com reported. The Camden County Prosecutor’s office is handling the case; authorities said they found the suspect’s weapon at the scene.
Under New Jersey law, all police shootings are also investigated by the state attorney general’s office.
