UPDATE: Two police officers, civilian injured in police pursuit
Police and ambulance crews respond to the Crescent Parking Deck on South Fullerton Avenue where a police officer was struck and injured.
BY ERIN ROLL
roll@montclairlocal.news
A a police pursuit through Montclair on Tuesday, Sept. 23, left three people - a civilian and two police officers - injured, according to Essex County Prosecutor's Office officials.
Two suspects have been taken into custody, according to Montclair Police.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, a Montclair police officer stopped a vehicle near the Crescent Parking Deck on South Fullerton Avenue for various motor vehicle violations. During the stop, the officer discovered the vehicle had been reported stolen, prosecutor's office spokesperson Katherine Carter said. The driver then took off in the vehicle, and while fleeing struck an officer in the process.
Numerous police vehicles pursed the vehicle down South Fullerton Avenue, Harrison Avenue and Orange Road. The vehicle traveled into Newark, and the pursuit ended in the area of North 6th Street when the vehicle struck a parked car owned by a civilian.
One of the officer's who was injured was being treated at a local hospital as of Wednesday morning, Montclair Police Sgt. Terence Turner said.
The prosecutor's office would not comment on the other two injuries or how they occurred, only that they were not life-threatening. It is unknown if the second officer was from Montclair or from another agency. Montclair Police only reported that one Montclair officer was injured.
Montclair police said that two people were in custody as a result of the pursuit, while the prosecutor's office's announcement made no mention of any arrests.
The incident is being investigated by the Professional Standards Bureau and the Crime Scene Investigation Bureau of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
“I'm saddened by the news that one of Montclair's finest was struck by an automobile earlier today,” Councilman Peter Yacobellis said in a statement. “This was an unfortunate reminder that our police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our community safe. Benjamin and I extend our thoughts to the officer and his family in hopes for a speedy recovery.”