Police: Two Camden detectives shot in unprovoked attack on National Night Out

Two police detectives were shot in an unprovoked attack Tuesday night in Camden.

Authorities said the shooting happened at Broadway and Mount Vernon Street around 8:30 p.m. as police agencies around the country marked National Night Out with a variety of community events.

The detectives, identified only as a man and a woman, were taken to Cooper University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

During a late-night briefing, Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson was joined by local officials as well as representatives from the FBI and ATF in relaying the specifics of what he called an "ambush."

"At approximately 8:30 tonight, we had two officers in a non-enforcement, plainclothes capacity in an unmarked vehicle sitting at a red light" when someone began shooting into their windshield, Thomson said.

On Wednesday the Camden County Prosecutor's Office two gunmen had fired on the vehicle.

"The information we have thus far is that they were essentially ambushed… We have anywhere between 10 and 25 rounds that were fired at the officers," Thomson said. "One of the officers was able to return fire."

"We have no indication whether anyone else was hit," Thomson said, referring to the gunmen or bystanders.

"At this time the officers have non-life-threatening injuries — but not for the grace of God, to be quite frankly, with the amount of rounds that were fired at close range, particularly through the windshield," Thomson said.

Sources at the scene said the male detective suffered wounds to an arm, and the female detective had a hand wound.

"We have a rapid investigation unfolding," Thomson said.

Authorities were checking hospitals in the region for anyone seeking treatment for gunshot wounds from the detective's return fire.

"It was completely unprovoked. Our officers were not taking any enforcement action," Thomson said.

The motive for the ambushed was unknown.

"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 out as the investigation unfolds," Thomson said.

The chief noted that the ambushed comes a day after a Philadelphia SWAT officer — "one of our brothers across the river" — was shot in the face while trying to serve an arrest warrant.

Thomson said it was not lost on him that this occurred on National Night Out.

"Unfortunately on a night when we were supposed to celebrate safety, two of our officers were engaged as victims," Thomson said.

Before the shooting happened, Camden city officials hosted four National Night Out events throughout the city. National Night Out  was designed to bring together police and the communities they cover.