Officials: Cranford police officer shot in stolen vehicle pursuit on the Garden State Parkway

Questions surround a police chase that started with a stolen work van and ended in gunfire, with an officer shot in the arm and a suspect dead on the Garden State Parkway late last night.

Lanette Espy

Dec 29, 2023, 10:15 AM

Updated 288 days ago

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Questions surround a police chase that started with a stolen work van and ended in gunfire, with an officer shot in the arm and a suspect dead on the Garden State Parkway late last night.
New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association president Pat Colligan describes the series of events. “Pursuit was initiated, got on the parkway as many of these pursuits do and the guy spun out. The Cranford officers pulled up and the guy basically got out shooting, and the officers returned fire," he said.
The Office of the Attorney General is investigating the fatal shooting.
There's been an increase in stolen vehicles New Jersey, with members of law enforcement calling it an epidemic so much that it prompted the Office of the Attorney General to change the pursuit guidelines allowing officers to chase.
Though last night’s incident involved a work van, members of law enforcement are asking New Jerseyans to help limit the number of stolen car chases by safeguarding personal vehicles.
News 12 spoke with a family friend of the injured officer who said the officer is going to be OK.