According to police, on February 5, 2017, at approximately 2 a.m., the North Bergen Police Department received a report of a man with a gun on Kennedy Boulevard.
North Bergen Police Officers were dispatched and at approximately 2:20 a.m. a man matching his description was spotted in the area.
As officers attempted to question the man, Emmanuel Hernandez, age 27, of West New York, he fled in a vehicle.
In the process of fleeing, an officer and the officer’s vehicle were struck by the vehicle Hernandez was driving.
Additional officers pursued Hernandez several blocks into West New York where he exited his
vehicle in front of 608 57th Street. Hernandez fired a weapon at the pursuing officers and one officer returned fire. Neither the officer nor Hernandez was struck by the gunfire.
Hernandez then barricaded himself in the basement of the house at that location for several hours until he surrendered to police without incident at approximately 2:15 p.m. After Hernandez
surrendered, officers recovered a handgun and a shotgun with a high capacity magazine during a search of his residence.
Hernandez has been charged by the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor with 2 counts of Attempted Murder of Police Officers, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm,'Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose, Eluding Police Officers, Resisting Arrest and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez praised the cumulative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies that resulted in the peaceful surrender of Hernandez.
“This was a spontaneous and extremely volatile situation that could have turned out differently but for the patience and hard work of law enforcement professionals,” said Suarez. “Given the scope and magnitude of the situation, I am thankful that the matter was resolved peacefully.”
The Prosecutor credited the North Bergen Police Department under the leadership of Police Chief Robert Dowd and the West New York Police Department under the leadership of Police Director Robert Antolos for their quick response.
The Prosecutor also credited the Bergen County SWAT Team with methodically coordinating the negotiations with the barricaded suspect and its tactical decision making throughout the ordeal.
The following agencies were also credited for provided mutual aid and support: Union City Police Department, Guttenberg Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Hudson County Office of Emergency Management, New Jersey State Police Office of Emergency Management, North Hudson Fire & Regional Rescue, Office of Homeland Security Investigations, West New York Medical Services, Jersey City Medical Center Emergency Department.
The Internal Affairs Unit and the Homicide Unit of the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor are investigating the officer involved shooting which is standard protocol.
The above charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.