Off-Duty Postal Officer Wounded In Early-Morning Shooting In Newark
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Police in Newark are hunting for two men accused of shooting an off-duty postal officer as they posed as police officers during a traffic stop.
The shooting happened around 5 a.m. Thursday at 18th Avenue and Winans Avenue, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.
"There was an altercation and our postal police officer received a gunshot wound to his hand," said U.S. Postal Inspector Gregory Kliemisch.
The passenger window of a car was completely shattered during the shooting, and the windshield of an SUV in a nearby driveway was pierced by a single bullet.
Karen Chapman's daughter owns the SUV.
"She couldn't even go to work on time," Chapman said. "She had to call her co-worker to come pick her up.
"This is a quiet block," she added. "Really nothing happens on the block. I was surprised to come outside and see that."
The postal inspector said it's not clear if his officer was armed or whether he was the chosen victim.
"As far as I know, it seems like a random act," Kliemisch said.
It's something that almost never happens for his law enforcement division.
"This is a rarity for our postal police officers," Kliemisch said.
The officer was released from a local hospital and is now stable.
Investigators say the two suspects were last seen running from the shooting scene. They have been going door to door canvassing the neighborhood to see if anyone may have spotted the two men.
"People have to be a little concerned about what's going on right now. It's crazy," said Winston James, who lives in the area.
Earlier Thursday, police said a Newark officer shot an armed suspect who was trying to rob a gas station.