NJ Officer Shot During Struggle With Man

Burlington County Prosecutor's Office now investigating the shooting

A Burlington County Police Officer and a man were shot during an early morning struggle.

Delanco Police received a call around 3:45 a.m. for the report of a man causing a disturbance in the street along the 400 block of Delaware Avenue in Delanco, N.J., officials say.

Burlington County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Joel Bewley said Patrolman Francisco Ambrifi arrived on scene and found the unidentified 21-year-old man in the middle of the tree-lined street facing the Delaware River.

"He kept yelling about Jesus and the Devil," said Katie Stockton, who called police after she says the man's screams woke her family up.

Patrolman Ambrifi and the man then got into a struggle after the suspect failed to comply with the officer's orders, Bewley said.

During the struggle, Patrolman Ambrifi shot the man "more than once," according to Bewley. The officer also accidentally shot himself in his left leg.

"My daughter was yelling out to me that the officer was saying, 'I need help, I need help! I think I've been shot! My leg!'" said Stockton.

Police have not said where the suspect was hit, but that he is in critical condition. Patrolman Ambrifi, who married just four weeks ago, is listed in stable condition.

The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit, Crime Scene Unit and Special Investigations Unit as well as the Delanco Police Department are investigating.

Bewley says the investigation is ongoing. Stockton, meanwhile, is thankful for Ambrifi's actions.

"I'm very thankful that this officer came out to protect us to deal with a man who was on our front lawn, close enough to our door," she said. "He responded to make sure we were safe and put his own life at risk."

In the state of New Jersey, the county prosecutor's office takes over the investigation of any case involving the use of force by law enforcement where serious injury occurs.

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