Atlantic City police officer shot in head leaves hospital

An Atlantic City police officer who was shot in the head as he responded to a robbery outside a casino Sept. 3 left the hospital Thursday afternoon to applause from dozens of officers and other rescue personnel.

Joshlee Vadell, 29, an expectant father, gave a thumbs-up, saluted, and waved as he was carried out of AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center on a stretcher and placed into an ambulance. Police said he was headed to a rehabilitation center.

On Sept. 8, the department posted on its Facebook page that Vadell's ventilator had been removed and he was sitting up and talking.

The shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. after Vadell and his partner, both in uniform, observed a robbery near the Caesars Atlantic City parking garage on Arkansas Avenue.

Vadell was shot after he got out of his marked cruiser.

Vadell's partner, who was not identified, shot and killed one of the suspects, identified as Jerome Damon, 25, of Camden.

Two other men - Martell Chisholm, 19, of Millville, and Demetrius Cross, 28, of Bridgeton - were arrested and charged with attempted murder and robbery.

Vadell, a nine-year member of the force, and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby in about a month.A GoFundMe account has raised more than $106,000 for Vadell. It was set up by a local business owner and Matt Rogers, president of the Atlantic City Policemen's Benevolent Association Local 24.

"We love our police department and our community," said Coby Frier, who owns a members-only gentleman's club in the city. "We are under siege from so many different factors, but we won't tolerate someone hurting one of our officers."

mboren@phillynews.com

856-779-3829 @borenmc