Newark cop shoots at driver as SUV moved towards him, officials say

🚨 Officials say Newark police officers noticed an SUV that had been reported stolen

🚨 As they tried to arrest the passenger, the driver entered the vehicle, officials say

🚨 During a struggle an officer fired his weapon, according to officials

NEWARK — One person was shot at by police as the officers checked on an SUV that had been reported as stolen Monday evening.

Attorney General Matt Platkin said two Newark police officers noticed the SUV parked at the intersection of Hawthorne Avenue and Clinton Place in the Clinton Hill section around 8:35 p.m.  A man left a store across the street and got behind the wheel as police tried to detain the passenger.

As the officers then struggled to remove the man sitting in the driver's seat, the SUV moved backward and then forward, according to Platikin. One of the officers fired his weapon and hit the driver, which caused the SUV to hit a police vehicle parked at an angle.

SUV keeps going

The SUV continued across the street, onto a sidewalk, crashed into a building and then hit parked vehicles, Platkin said.

The driver was taken to University Hospital, where he remained in stable condition  Tuesday morning. The two officers were treated for minor injuries.

Any death involving an on-duty police officer must be investigated by the Attorney General's Office.

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