A 14-year-old accused of shooting two Newark, NJ, cops as they sat in a patrol car has been charged with murder and attempted murder, officials said Saturday.
Detective Joseph Azcona, 26, died at a hospital, and the second officer shot is recovering from his injuries.
“Five-year veteran Joseph Azcona was shot before he even had the opportunity to leave his police car,” Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said at a news conference Saturday morning.
Officials have not named the teen suspect.
Azcona, who has been a police officer for five years, was not married and didn’t have children, officials said.
He died at University Hospital around 2:34 a.m.
Shots rang out around 6:30 p.m. near a White Castle and McDonald’s where the teen was hanging out with friends, ABC7 reported, citing the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police didn’t release details about what led up to the shooting and said the incident remained under investigation.
The teen allegedly fired a total of 29 shots at officers, sources told PIX11.