Shoplifting suspect killed in wild chase, shootout with NJ cops

BLOOMINGDALE — A shoplifting suspect was shot and killed Thursday after he nearly ran over a police officer during a traffic stop and then led cops on a vehicle chase that ended in a residential area with several shots being fired into his SUV and a police cruiser, authorities said.

The incident began around 9:30 a.m. in Riverdale, when an officer stopped the SUV in connection with the shoplifting case that had been reported a few minutes earlier. The SUV sped off but was soon spotted in neighboring Bloomingdale, where authorities said it was being driven erratically and at high speeds.

The driver eventually turned into a residential neighborhood and ended up at a dead-end, authorities said.

During the subsequent exchange of gunfire, at least four shots were fired into the SUV's windshield and at least nine shots were fired into the front driver's side window of a Riverdale police cruiser. The suspect was struck by at least one shot, while an officer suffered an undisclosed minor injury.

The suspect was taken to a hospital but died there a short time later. His name has not been disclosed.

An elementary school near the shooting scene was put on lockdown as a precaution, but that was lifted later in the morning.

The state attorney general's office is investigating the matter, which is standard policy in any police-involved shooting.