Gloucester Township Officer Shoots Armed Robbery Suspect Inside Blackwood Cvs, Prosecutor Says
A Gloucester Township officer shot Michael Dougherty, 65, of Blackwood after authorities said he pointed a gun at the officer during a robbery at a College Drive CVS. He faces armed robbery charges; the shooting is under review.
What happened
Where it happened
- Gloucester Township, Camden County.
What remains unclear
- The prosecutor's Major Crimes Unit is investigating the robbery, and its Special Prosecutions Unit is reviewing the police shooting with guidance from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, officials said.
Police got the robbery call a little after 4:15 on a Friday afternoon. By the time it was over, an officer had fired his weapon inside a Blackwood pharmacy and a 65-year-old man was headed to the hospital.
Officers were sent to the CVS in the 700 block of College Drive in Gloucester Township on Nov. 6 for a reported robbery, Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay and Gloucester Township Police Chief Anthony Minosse said. Authorities identified the man as Michael Dougherty, 65, of Blackwood.
According to authorities, the first officer to arrive found Dougherty armed and in the middle of the robbery. Officials said Dougherty pointed a gun at the officer, who moved back, drew his service weapon and ordered him to drop the gun. Authorities said Dougherty kept advancing, and the officer fired, striking him multiple times.
That is the account authorities have released so far. The shooting itself is now under a separate review.
A second officer took Dougherty into custody and gave him medical aid, and he was taken to Cooper University Hospital, officials said. No officers, employees or customers were hurt, according to the prosecutor. Police said Dougherty was carrying two guns. He is charged with one count of first-degree armed robbery, two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, two counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and one count of third-degree aggravated assault for allegedly pointing a firearm at a law enforcement officer. The charges are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The prosecutor's Major Crimes Unit is investigating the robbery, and its Special Prosecutions Unit is reviewing the police shooting with guidance from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, officials said. Authorities have not released the officer's name or further details about the shooting.
Source: Camden County Prosecutor's Office. Originally reported by RLS Media.
Photo: City Hall in Camden, the Camden County seat. Nyttend / Wikimedia Commons (public domain), resized.
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