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Jersey City police officer shot dead on call for drug store robbery Jersey City police officer shot dead during armed robbery of drug store
(about 1 hour later)
A Jersey City police officer responding to an armed robbery call at an 24-hour drug store was shot and killed early Sunday, officials said. A rookie police officer responding to an armed robbery call at a 24-hour drug store was fatally shot early Sunday by a suspect who had snatched a gun from an armed security guard inside, officials said.
Melvin Santiago was shot in the head while still in his police vehicle as he and his partner responded to a call at a Walgreens Pharmacy at about 4am, Jersey City mayor Steven Fulop said in a statement. Jersey City officer Melvin Santiago, 23, was shot in the head while still in his police vehicle as he and his partner responded to a call at a Walgreens at about 4am, mayor Steven Fulop said. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Fulop said Santiago was pronounced dead at Jersey City Medical Center. No other details about the officer were immediately released.
"Today was a horrible day for Jersey City," Fulop said."Today was a horrible day for Jersey City," Fulop said.
Santiago is the first Jersey City officer killed in the line of duty since Detective Marc DiNardo was killed in July 2009 during a raid on an apartment searching for suspects in a robbery. Officers responding to the robbery call shot and killed the man who fired at Santiago, Fulop said. The suspect's identity was not immediately released.
Fulop said officers responding to the robbery call shot and killed the man who shot Santiago. He was not immediately identified. Dozens of officers stood single file at the entrance of the hospital and saluted as Santiago's flag-draped body was carried into an ambulance. A handful of younger officers consoled one another as they walked away. Santiago graduated from the police academy in December, according to a spokeswoman for Fulop.
The mayor said an armed security guard at the store told authorities that the man struck him and took his weapon. That weapon was used in the shooting, police believe. Santiago is the first Jersey City officer killed in the line of duty since Detective Marc DiNardo died in July 2009 during a raid on an apartment while searching for suspects in a robbery.
The mayor said an armed security guard at the store told authorities that the man struck him and took his weapon. That weapon was used in the shooting, police believe. The guard was taken to a hospital.
"It is a tragic situation when any officer is killed in the line of duty," Fulop said. "Melvin was an officer who represented everything one would want to see in a police officer. I know the entire city's thoughts and prayers are with the Santiago family during this difficult time and we mourn together.""It is a tragic situation when any officer is killed in the line of duty," Fulop said. "Melvin was an officer who represented everything one would want to see in a police officer. I know the entire city's thoughts and prayers are with the Santiago family during this difficult time and we mourn together."
Jean Belviso, who has been delivering newspapers for 10 years, was driving through the Walgreens parking lot when she said she saw a man wearing burgundy sweatpants and a baseball cap walk out of the store. A police cruiser pulled up in front of Walgreens, and the suspect began shooting, the 61-year-old Belviso said.
"We thought he was running, coming toward us," said Belviso, who was riding along with a friend. "He kept on shooting."
Bullets flew through the cruiser's windshield, and other police cars appeared on scene, and officers fired at the suspect, Belviso said. The suspect was shot multiple times, and officers slapped handcuffs on him, she said.
The suspect's body remained on the ground next to the bullet-riddled cruiser for more than five hours after the shooting before it was placed in a coroner's van and taken away.