One armed-robbery suspect is dead and another is on the loose after police in South Jersey say officers exchanged gunfire with the suspects overnight.
Police in Vineland responded to an armed robbery involving two gunmen about 1 a.m. at 7th and Cherry streets, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office.
Officers tracked down the two suspects nearby, near East Avenue and Almond Street, officials said, and began to chase the pair on foot. At one point, authorities said, one of the suspects shot at police and an exchange of gunfire ensued.
Officers' return fire wounded one of the suspects, officials said, while the second escaped.
The suspect who was shot was taken to Inspira Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time after the shooting. Authorities later identified him as 31-year-old Richard Bard Jr., of Bridgeton.
The prosecutor's office said in a statement that a gun was found near where the suspect fell.
The second suspect remains on the loose. Authorities said he was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt at the time of the incident and is considered to be armed and dangerous.
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The victim of the robbery was flown to Atlantic City Medical Center and was in stable condition later Sunday, police said. The nature of the victim's injuries was unclear.
No officers were injured in the shooting, and it remains under investigation by the prosecutor's office and New Jersey State Police. The discharging officer was placed on administrative duty, as is protocol while any investigation of a police-involved shooting is conducted.
Anyone with information on the second robbery suspect or about the incident is asked to contact 609-381-4890 or 856-453-0486.
