Two police officers were shot, one NYPD, the other based in New Jersey, and a suspect killed when gunfire erupted during an ongoing investigation that led cops to a popular banquet hall in Middlesex County, according to a senior law enforcement official with knowledge of the case.
The New Jersey state attorney general's office is investigating the overnight shooting, prosecutors said.
Authorities responded to reports of a possible active shooter at Royal Albert's Palace, a 1,000-person banquet hall at the Raritan Hotel in Woodbridge Township, around 12:30 a.m.
According to the senior law enforcement official, the NYPD had put a license plate alarm on a car in connection with a murder out of East Harlem on June 7. Further details on that case weren't immediately available, but police in New Jersey using a license plate reader got a hit on the vehicle.
NYPD officers responded to the scene, along with New Jersey State Troopers and officers from police departments in Woodbridge Township and Edison.
The official says the girlfriend of the suspect got into a confrontation with responding officers and ended up arrested. Her boyfriend, alerted to the chaos, allegedly came out of the building shooting.
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Police officers returned fire, killing the gunman in the ensuing gunfire, according to the senior law enforcement official. The suspect has not yet been identified.
Local
An NYPD officer was shot in the foot, and a New Jersey officer was shot in the back. Both are expected to survive.
Police vehicles from departments in Woodbridge and New York City were spotted at the scene overnight. The road to the hall remained blocked off due to the investigation Thursday. A white SUV was seen being towed from the parking lot area early Thursday, though it wasn't clear if that was the vehicle that had been tagged by the NYPD.
The New Jersey state attorney general's office is expected to release additional details later Thursday.
In a late-morning statement, NJ Attorney General Matthew Platkin said, "This incident is another reminder that our law enforcement officers risk their lives daily to keep our communities safe. Their resilience deserves our unwavering support. As the state’s top law enforcement officer, I am resolute in working with our law enforcement partners to complete a thorough and complete investigation and to do everything in my power to prevent this kind of violence against law enforcement in the future."
"While we’re grateful for the brave and swift actions taken by all who responded, we also remember that no police officer – or any member of law enforcement – should ever face this violence while performing their duties," Platkin's statement continued. "Officers take enormous risks on a daily basis to keep our communities safe. We must continue to work together to prevent and disrupt gun violence of every kind in New Jersey."
