NEWARK, NJ – Newark Public Safety Director Brian A. O’Hara reports that ShotSpotter, a system used by the Police Division to detect gunfire, assisted police in the arrest of an armed suspect today.
“I highly commend Detective Sergeant Anthony Maldonado and our Shooting Response Team detectives, who were in the area on a separate investigation when they heard the gunfire, and used ShotSpotter to precisely locate where the gunfire originated,” Director O’Hara said. “I am thankful for their courage and their unwavering commitment to reducing gun violence in our City.”
At approximately 10 a.m., ShotSpotter detected gunshots in the 100 block of Avon Avenue near Bergen Street. Officers from the Shooting Response Team immediately responded to that location, where they observed the suspect trying to conceal a weapon in his waistband. The officers arrested the suspect without incident.
“I am grateful that we have ShotSpotter in place to assist us in not only detecting gun violence as soon as it happens, but because it also supports police in responding directly to the scene quickly and ultimately in saving lives,” Director O’Hara said. “In today’s incident, we saw the value of this system as police were able to respond and apprehend a suspect without a single call to 9-1-1.”
No one was injured by gunfire. Ballistic evidence was recovered from the scene. This incident remains under investigation.