New Jersey

Police Shoot Man Threatening Woman, Officers With Machete in New Jersey

What to Know

  • Police shot a man in Clark, New Jersey, after he threatened a woman, bystanders and officers with a machete, officials said
  • A witness said he saw police descend on the area and then he heard four or five shots
  • The suspect's condition wasn't immediately known, although he was said to be alive; no one else was injured

Police shot a man in New Jersey Tuesday night after he threatened a woman with a machete and then went after good Samaritans and police officers who tried to help her, authorities said.

The suspect was shot and injured by police sometime before 8:15 p.m. in Clark, New Jersey, after he threatened the woman with a machete outside an apartment on Lake Avenue, Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso said.

The relationship between the suspect and the woman wasn't clear. 

Three bystanders tried to help the woman and the suspect went after them, the mayor said.

When officers arrived, the suspect lunged at them with the machete and that’s when one of the officers opened fire multiple times, according to Bonaccorso.

Witnesses took cell phone videos of officers at the scene. One witness named Justin said he saw officers swarming from all around and then he heard the sound of four or five gunshots.

“It was quick, like ‘pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,’” Justin said.

It’s unclear how many times the suspect was shot or where he was hit. His condition wasn’t immediately known, although he was said to be alive.

Mayor Bonaccorso said no one else, including police officers, was injured. He said the officers “did a great job and diverted a very nasty scene up here.”

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