The officer, dressed in plain clothes, apparently was getting out of his car when he was accosted on Pearl Street near the corner the corner of East 18th Street shortly before 10 p.m., they said.
Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes confirmed the shooting but declined to elaborate in any way.
Responders said one of the robbers was struck and all four fled, although that couldn’t be confirmed.
Neither the officer nor a companion was injured, they said.
Shootings surged again in Paterson last week, with 11 people struck by gunfire, one fatally.
That man, Elmwood Park native Twyshon Depew, 26, was shot in the chest across from a city park Thursday night. He became the 22nd person killed in a shooting in the Silk City this year.
“I failed you bro I’m sorry,” rapper Fetty Wap wrote of Depew’s death. "I really thought I could get you out before I ever had to make a post like this lil bro like wtf.”
SEE: Younger 'Brother' Of Rapper Fetty Wap Gunned Down In Paterson
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fair Lawn-Glen Rock and receive free news updates.