The shocking ambush of two Camden metro police officers during National Night Out wasn't the only time this summer that police officers in the Garden State almost lost their lives.

At least four incidents since June have been reported of officers being attacked by armed assailants.

All three shootings and one knife attack were in South Jersey. Two incidents resulted in injuries.

National data last year showed that deaths of officers in the line of duty had dropped to its lowest level in four years. Police officer deaths so far this year have involved traffic accidents in Paterson and on the New Jersey Turnpike.

In Camden, various groups have offered a combined $60,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the gunmen who shot two city officers Aug. 7.

(Camden County Prosecutor's Office)
(Camden County Prosecutor's Office)
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Authorities this week released video stills of two men wanted for questioning.

The gunmen opened fire at two undercover Camden County Metro detectives who were sitting in their car at a red light about 8:30 p.m. at the intersection of Broadway and Walnut.

Both officers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Authorities say the ambush was unprovoked.

The National Police Defense Foundation on Friday added $10,000 in reward money to the pot. Executive Director Joseph Occhipinti said he hopes the reward will "send a strong message" to the "criminals who attempted to assassinate two police officers that their criminal actions will not be tolerated."

(Camden County Sheriff's Office)
Cameron Rogers, charged with attempted murder of police officers. (Camden County Sheriff's Office)
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Earlier that same week, two officers with the Camden County Sheriff's Special Investigations Bureau had a gun aimed point-blank at them by a suspect.

Luckily, the weapon did not go off. Investigators later learned that the 9mm Jimenez Arms handgun had misfired.

Cameron Rogers, 18, fled the scene and barricaded himself inside a home, police said. He surrendered a while later and was charged with attempted murder, resisting arrest and weapons offenses.

(Millville Midget Football League via Facebook)
Joseph Jones, a youth football coach, was shot and killed next to a middle school field. (Millville Midget Football League via Facebook)
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More recently, Millville police officers escaped injury after a masked gunman fired at them from a getaway vehicle. Police did not return fire.

Police were pursuing a vehicle that had fled from Lakeside Middle School, where a 37-year-old youth football coach had been gunned down in front of a hundred young children and parents.

Prosecutors on Saturday released a surveillance picture showing the maroon sedan in which at least one gunman fled.

(Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office)
"Vehicle of interest" in the Aug. 9, 2018, slaying of a Millville football coach. (Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office)
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In June, a shocking knife attack of an Atlantic City cop was caught on video.

Police officers were investigating a hit-and-run when out of the blue a man began stabbing them for no apparent reason. The officers shot 32-year-old Timothy Deal, who who later died at a hospital. An officer was treated and released.

Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner released police bodycam footage of the incident about two weeks later and defended the officers against criticism.

"The death of Timothy Deal, while tragic, was in response to his unproved attack on a police officer with a knife," Tyner said in June. "The unfortunate circumstances, where unarmed individuals have been assaulted and in some instances killed, that have occurred throughout the United States should not be compared to this matter. Each incident has its own set of facts and must be investigated separately."

WARNING: Video below contains violence

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Sergio Bichao is deputy digital editor at New Jersey 101.5. Send him news tips: Call 609-359-5348 or email sergio.bichao@townsquaremedia.com.

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