A New Jersey police officer who lost his life after being gunned down allegedly by a 14-year-old boy on a shooting spree has been identified.
Joseph Azcona, 26, a five-year veteran, died in the hospital from his injuries after he was shot ‘before he even had the opportunity to leave his police car,’ Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said at a press conference on Saturday.
Azcona, who was a detective for the Newark Police Department, was pronounced dead at 2:30 am on Saturday surrounded by his parents and brothers.
‘He has a lot of friends and a lot of family who loved him,’ his mother said of her youngest to The New York Times.
‘We lost a true hero last night,’ Emmanuel Miranda, Newark’s public safety director, said at a press conference. ‘Our hearts are heavy, we’re leaning on one another for support.’
A second officer was also shot outside of the cruiser and is recovering in the hospital from non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said on Saturday.
Five suspects, including a 14-year-old, are in police custody and authorities managed to secure one of the guns used in the shooting.
The teen has been charged with murder, attempted murder and possession of an illegal weapon. He is currently in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Stephens.
Joseph Azcona, 26, a five-year veteran, died in the hospital from his injuries after he was allegedly shot ‘before he even had the opportunity to leave his police car,’ Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said at a press conference on Saturday
Five suspects, including a 14-year-old, are in police custody and authorities managed to secure one of the guns used in the shooting
The teen has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and possession of an illegal weapon. He is currently in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries