Person of interest sought who may have information about shooting of Camden County detectives

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP/WTXF) - A gunman opened fire on two New Jersey police officers while they were sitting in their vehicle at a red light in Camden Tuesday night, wounding them in what authorities are calling an ambush attack. Police released video of a person of interest who may have information about the shooting.  

On Thursday, the two detectives were released from the hospital.

"The information we have thus far is that they were essentially ambushed," Thomson told reporters at a late night news conference. "We have anywhere between 10 and 25 rounds that were fired at the officers."

Two male suspects opened fire on the plainclothes detectives at Broadway and Mt. Vernon streets, said Camden County Police Chief J. Scott Thomson.

One of the detectives was able to return fire, Thomson said, but it was not immediately clear if anyone else was shot. Thomson said his department was in communication with hospitals in the region.

"At this point in time our officers have non-life-threatening injuries but not for the grace of God quite frankly," Thomson said. "The amount of rounds that were fired at close range and particularly through the windshield."

Police continue to search for the suspects involved in the "unprovoked" attack.

"Maybe they did know they were police officers and that's the reason why they did it. Maybe they thought they were somebody else. We'll find that out as the investigation unfolds," Thomson said.

The shooting occurred on National Night Out, an event designed to bring local police and the communities they serve together.

The FOP is putting up a $30,000 reward and the PBA is putting up a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. 

If you have information that may lead to the identification of either of the two of the persons of interest, please immediately contact Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Detective Matt McKeown at (609) 820-7192.  Information may also be emailed to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org If you wish to give your information anonymously you may do so.