What to Know
- A man was killed and three New Jersey police officers were injured after a shootout involving a rifle-wielding suspect in body armor
- One officer was shot in both legs, while two other suffered lesser gunshot injuries; the suspect was killed after gunning down another man
- The gunman's rifle was recovered at the scene, and police sources said he shot the other man following an argument
UPDATE: Unarmed Dad Killed by Rifle-Wielding NJ Cop Shooter Is Identified
A man was killed and three New Jersey police officers were injured after a shootout involving a rifle-wielding suspect sporting body armor who was then killed by police, authorities said.
One officer was shot in both legs after 11:30 a.m. outside a home on Myrtle Avenue in Irvington, while the other two cops sustained lesser gunshot injuries.
According to attorney general's office, police were called to the scene after reports of shots fired and a man being gunned down. The shooter fired at the man after an argument, police sources said, striking him in the chest.
Witnesses told News 4 the shooter appeared to be looking for someone specific as he walked around with a gun.
When officers arrived at the scene, the gunman appeared to be in full body armor — prepared for a shootout. Officials said cops exchanged gunfire with the suspect, identified as 39-year-old Kaizen Crossen, killing him.
All three cops hurt in the shootout are expected to survive, officials said.
The officer shot in the legs was described by a source who saw him in the hospital as being in "good spirits" and able to speak on the phone with his wife. His name has not been released.
One of the other cops was grazed by a bullet during the shootout, while injuries to the other officer struck by gunfire were not immediately made clear, although none of the officers suffered injuries considered to be life-threatening.
Crossen and the 20-year-old man he shot were rushed to University Hospital in Newark, where they were pronounced dead. The name of the other man, who was not armed, has not been released and the motive for the shooting wasn't immediately clear.
The gunman's rifle was recovered at the scene, according to sources familiar with the case.
A number of other officers were taken to the hospital for precautionary purposes, officials said.
Chopper 4 showed a huge law enforcement and emergency response at the scene, with dozens of officers combing the area and going in and out of homes on a residential street. The area was totally shut down. Multiple ambulances responded and it appeared there were at least two dozen emergency response vehicles.
One person was seen being taken out of a home on a stretcher as emergency personnel performed CPR, though it wasn't clear if that person was the injured police officer.
