4 SWAT Officers Hurt in Gun Battle

One officer is in critical condition

By WAYNE PARRY

Updated 11:05 AM EST, Thu, Sep 24, 2009

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A gunman opened fire early Thursday on a SWAT team that burst into a Jersey shore home during a drug and gun raid, wounding four officers while spraying bullets from atop a staircase, authorities said. One officer was critically wounded.

Lakewood Patrolman Jonathan Wilson was shot in the face during the raid, and was in critical but stable condition at a local hospital.

"He is in good spirits, and he's communicating," said Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford.

Lt. Greg Meyer was shot in the foot, and was in good condition at the hospital with bone injuries.

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Two other Lakewood officers, Sgt. Louis Sasso and Patrolman Leonard Nieves Sr., were shot in their bulletproof vests. They were treated and released from the hospital.

The suspect, Jamie Gonzalez, 39, was in critical condition after suffering numerous gunshot wounds as police returned fire, Ford said.

At 2:25 a.m., the task force consisting of officers from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, New Jersey State Police, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and Lakewood police executed a "no-knock" search warrant at the single family home.

As soon as they got inside, Gonzalez opened fire on them from atop a staircase, according to police.

The officers fired back and hit Gonzalez several times.

Authorities were searching the house Thursday morning for evidence in the shooting case, as well as the gun and drugs case.