Man Allegedly Armed With Knife Shot By Police In Asbury Park
ASBURY PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Attempted murder charges were filed Monday against a man who was shot by police after he allegedly stabbed an officer during a street confrontation.
Monmouth County prosecutors said Oswaldo Torres Quiroz, 22, of Woodbridge, was also charged with attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer and weapons offenses stemming from the incident in Asbury Park.
It all began as a domestic dispute between the suspect and an ex-girlfriend who lives above the crime scene, according to law enforcement.
Quiroz stabbed Patrolman Carl Christie in the torso with a steak knife, but the officer escaped serious injury because his protective vest stopped the blade, prosecutors said.
Rafael Martinez told CBS 2's Steve Langford that he watched the confrontation erupt as the woman apparently rejected Quiroz's demands to reconcile.
"He just flipped when the girl said she don't want nothing to do with him no more," Martinez said.
The woman is now safe and cooperating with police.
Police tried to get the man to calm down and drop the knife, but that is when he attacked, authorities said. Quiroz then plunged the blade at Christie's abdomen, police allege.
A witness was crossing a nearby street and saw the battle unfold.
"That officer was struggling with the man, I don't know him, then the gun went off and they were both on the ground," she said.
The gunshot came from Christie's partner, Patrolman Johnny Washington, who pulled out his glock to stop the suspect.
"It got to a point where it was so bad that Officer Washington absolutely had no choice, but to take out his weapon and to actually shoot the suspect in the abdomen area," Marc LeMieux, Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, said.
Christie was treated at a hospital for lacerations on his right wrist and a finger and was later released.
``Thank God, he was wearing his vest, so the knife wound actually went through his shirt and through his vest, but the vest stopped it without puncturing his abdomen area,'' LeMieux told the Asbury Park Press.
Quiroz also allegedly tried to grab the service weapon of Patrolman Washington when he arrived on scene. Washington then stepped back and fired his .40 caliber Glock one time, hitting Quiroz in the abdomen.
Quiroz underwent surgery for injuries that prosecutors said were ``significant'' but apparently not life-threatening.
Video from the scene showed multiple police vehicles and crime scene tape in the area.
Christie has been a police officer for 23 years, including 15 years on the Asbury Park force. Washington has also spent 15 years with the city force.
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