Responding to the 2:50 p.m. gun call at Rosa Parks Boulevard and Hamilton Avenue were Officer Ernest Lemay, Detective Michael Quinones and county prosecutor’s Detective Ricardo Ferreira of the Special Investigations Division Ceasefire Unit.
Standing near the intersection, a gun in his hand, was 36-year-old Anthony Moore of Amity Street, Police Director Jerry Speziale said.
Seeing Lemay get out of his police cruiser, Moore bolted in the detectives’ direction, Speziale said.
Moore, whose criminal history includes drug and weapons convictions, “dropped a large handgun to the pavement” that was, in turn, grabbed by Lemay, the director said.
The .45-caliber semi-automatic turned out to be reported stolen out of Totowa, he said.
The detectives continued the chase.
Moore headed east onto Hamilton Avenue and into an alleyway, where Ferreira grabbed him as he tried to scale the fence, Speziale said.
Moore fought with the detectives but was subdued, he added.
They recovered 90 folds of heroin and 15 baggies of crack, the director said.
Moore remained held in the Passaic County Jail pending a detention hearing. He’s charged with various drug and weapons offenses – including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm -- as well as eluding, resisting arrest and two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer.
The recovered firearm will be submitted to the New Jersey State Police Ballistics Lab to determine whether it may have been used in other crimes, Speziale said.
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