New Jersey: Man shot dead by police was wanted for theft, rammed officer during chase
he man fatally shot by a police officer Thursday in Bloomingdale was being chased by police following a theft in a neighboring borough and rammed the vehicle of the officer who eventually gunned him down, authorities said. The man was identified as Michael J. Rivera, 32, of Newark, the state Attorney General’s Office, which is investigating the shooting, announced Thursday night.
The investigation has preliminarily revealed that a car driven by Rivera was wanted in connection with a theft investigation in Riverdale.
Police vehicles from Bloomingdale and Riverdale began pursuing the the car and Rivera eventually turned onto Matthews Drive, a dead end street in Bloomingdale, the office said.
Rivera then turned his car around and was met by a police vehicle that stopped right in front of him.
The officer, who was not identified, was trying to get out of his car when Rivera drove forward and rammed the cop’s vehicle, pinning his leg, the office said.
The officer then fired multiple rounds and fatally wounded Rivera around 10:15 a.m.
Officers administered first and performed CPR on Rivera, who was taken Chilton Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The officer was taken to a hospital for treatment of his leg injury and was later released, the office said.
Nearby Samuel R. Donald Elementary school in Bloomingdale was on lockdown following the shooting. The lockout was lifted just before 1 p.m. but all students remained indoors until their regularly-scheduled dismissals.
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