Man accused of shooting 2 Newark officers facing attempted murder charges

The man accused of shooting two Newark police officers on Tuesday afternoon is now in custody and facing multiple charges.

News 12 Staff

Nov 2, 2022, 4:22 PM

Updated 705 days ago

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The man accused of shooting two Newark police officers on Tuesday afternoon is now in custody and facing multiple charges.
Kendall Howard, 30, was arrested Wednesday morning after a massive manhunt. He was taken into custody in the apartment where he lives, according to tenants. It is the same building that police officers searched for hours on Tuesday night looking for Howard.
“Mr. Howard has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of Newark police officers,” says acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens.
Stephens says that the manhunt ended nearly 24 hours after it started. It was around 11 a.m. Wednesday when a dozen police cars drove up to the Chancellor Avenue apartment building. Officers were dressed in tactical gear and were heavily armed.
They walked to the rear of the building and minutes later walked out of a side door with Howard. He was put in a patrol car and taken away.
The shooting Tuesday afternoon took place in the back parking lot of the complex, according to police. Police were initially attempting to question Howard about a different crime. Authorities say that is when he pulled out a gun and shot the two officers.
One of the officers was shot in the leg, while the other was shot in the neck and shoulder area.
Videos posted on social media show two good Samaritans helping the officer who was shot near the neck. He is seen laying on the ground. One person gets on a phone, while a woman grabs a roll of paper towels and applies it to his wounds.
In another video, the officer can be seen being picked up and dragged away by fellow officers.
Stephens praised the actions of the good Samaritans.
“When a good Samaritan finds it their duty to come forward and assist in that environment, that makes it all worth it,” he says.
"Our residents in Newark have shown over and over again they are willing to put themselves in the way of police and harm,” says Mayor Ras Baraka.
The officer shot in the leg was released from the hospital around 5 p.m. Wednesday. The second officer will remain at University Hospital for the next few days.
Residents at the apartment building were not let back inside until after midnight while police searched for Howard. Yvonne Causbey is one of those residents. She stayed with a relative Tuesday night.
"You know, even though you are staying with friends, it wasn't the best time. We didn't sleep comfortably, and they were nervous. We were nervous,” she says.
She says she would often see Howard at the complex.
It was not immediately clear where in the complex Howard was found or if he was there all night.