The Camden County Police Department is investigating a shooting incident at approximately 11:30 p.m. last night in which a suspect fired several rounds at a Camden County Police Department officer while he was driving on Kenwood Avenue.
The officer was struck in the arm by a bullet fragment but courageously searched for the suspects while injured.
The officer was working a special detail targeting violent crime when he began investigating a suspicious vehicle. The vehicle came to a sudden stop and parked along Kenwood Avenue. The occupants exited the car and began to quickly distance themselves from it. As the officer drove closer to the suspects, one of the occupants suddenly opened fire with a handgun with multiple rounds hitting the officer’s vehicle.
The officer did not return fire as he sought cover from the incoming bullets. As the incident evolved he then pursued the suspects when the firing stopped.
The officer was then transported to Cooper Medical Center with a bullet fragment in lodged in his arm.
“This officer was bravely doing his duty of protecting the public from suspected violent criminals when he himself quickly became a victim. His grace under fire and presence of mind to immediately coordinate a perimeter in an attempt to capture the suspects was exemplary,” said Chief Scott Thomson. “We will not rest until we apprehend the individual and his co-conspirators who attempted to kill a police officer. This incident is a sobering reminder of the dangers police officers face every day as we attempt to remove the most violent individuals from the streets for the community’s safety.”