An officer shot and killed a woman who police say tried to run him over outside a shopping center in Deptford Township, New Jersey, on Saturday.
Police were first called to the Marshalls department store on 1800 Clements Bridge Road around 3:40 p.m. for a report of a shoplifting in progress. Police were also alerted that one of the shoplifting suspects was wanted in connection to a prior homicide.
When police arrived they spotted three suspects later identified as Raoul Gadson, LaShanda Anderson, 36, and Chanel Barnes — all of Philadelphia.
Police say Gadson was resisting with loss prevention agents from the store. As police approached, Gadson allegedly fled the scene on foot while Anderson and Barnes entered a rented Nissan Armada.
Police say they commanded Anderson to stop but she accelerated toward them. One of the officers, a patrol captain and 27-year veteran, was struck by the open driver-side door, police said. Anderson then allegedly tried to deliberately run over a second officer, a sergeant. The sergeant, a 17-year veteran, took out a gun and fired three shots, striking Anderson twice.
The vehicle then veered, narrowly missing the sergeant, continued across the parking lot and onto the access road before finally coming to a stop.
Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials say she died from multiple gunshot wounds.
"I'm still hurt," Zoe Anne McLean, a friend of Anderson's, said. "I'm hurting and she's got three daughters. What are we going to tell the kids?"
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Barnes was taken into custody and charged with shoplifting. Gadson escaped and remains at large, police said. He faces robbery and assault charges.
The sergeant was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released. He'll be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of the shooting. The patrol captain was not seriously injured.
The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office continues to investigate the incident. If you have any information, please call GCPO Det. Anthony Garbarino at 856-466-6192 or The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at 856-384-5500.
If you have any information on Gadson's whereabouts, please call GCPO Det. John Petroski of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office Fugitive Unit at 856-498-6238.
