A 14-year-old has been charged with murder in the shooting death of a Newark police detective during a Friday night confrontation. Another officer was wounded in the exchange.
Authorities said Detective Joseph Azcona, 26, was shot before exiting his vehicle while investigating suspected illegal firearms activity near Broadway and Carteret Street. He was taken to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A five-year veteran of the department, Azcona was assigned to the intelligence unit.
A second officer was shot and hospitalized in critical condition. He is expected to survive.
Officials said the 14-year-old suspect was armed with an automatic weapon and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office announced charges against the teenager, including murder, attempted murder and multiple weapons offenses. Four others were taken into custody and questioned.
Authorities said the officers were conducting a criminal intelligence operation when gunfire erupted. The shooting occurred near a school, a church and several businesses. Investigators recovered a firearm at the scene and are working to determine if additional suspects will face charges.
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II called the officers “everyday heroes” and said Azcona was shot before he could react. Mayor Ras Baraka, who is running for NJ Governor, said the incident underscores the need to keep guns out of the hands of children.
“This is not a police problem. This is our collective problem,” Baraka said.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Gov. Phil Murphy offered condolences. Murphy called Azcona a hero and said his family was by his side when he died.
A police procession escorted Azcona’s body to a Newark funeral home Saturday afternoon. Officials described him as a dedicated officer whose loss is deeply felt by his colleagues and the community.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.