2 Newark police officers stabbed in apartment building on MLK Boulevard
NEWARK, N.J. -- Two Newark police officers are recovering in the hospital with stab wounds after responding to a call late Thursday afternoon.
CBS2 was told the officers are stable and their injuries are not life threatening.
Police said they were initially responding to a domestic violence call, when the suspect stabbed both of them with a knife.
Police spent the night cleaning a trail of blood leading out of the Aston Heights apartment building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard off Montgomery Street.
"I saw the police cars coming and then I heard two cops were stabbed, which I said is a crying shame. They can't even protect us without getting hurt," neighbor Barbara Vreelind said.
Sources told CBS2 an on-duty security guard in the building saw something that prompted him to call 911 just before 5 p.m. Newark police responded, and that's when the male suspect stabbed the two officers in the building lobby.
"For someone to do that, even attempt or try to, is crazy," neighbor Mike Lowrey said.
"This is a nice building and people are nice and knows and respects each other, so the fact that this happened is crazy," a woman named Christina said.
The officers were rushed to University Hospital and no one else was injured.
The suspect was taken into police custody.
Residents said while the building may be safe, a crime scene is not uncommon in the neighborhood.
"There's always somethin going on here," Lowrey said.
"They're trying to keep the streets clean and clean up the city and they can't," Vreelind added.
CBS2 spoke off camera to the building's security, which said the suspect does not live there but is a frequent visitor, because his girlfriend is a resident. Security said it had not had an issue with the suspect before Thursday.