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Members of a DEA task force out of Newark were conducting an operation when gunfire erupted on Whiteman Street off Lemoine Avenue near the Whiteman Park Plaza around 1:30 p.m., knowledgeable law enforcement sources told Daily Voice.
At least 20 rounds had been fired, some of which struck a Toyota sedan that slammed head-on into a utility pole.
Two DEA agents were believed to have discharged their weapons.
The wounded suspect was taken in custody to Hackensack University Medical Center after being shot in the leg, the sources said, adding that his wounds weren't considered life-threatening.
He may have accidentally shot himself, they said, but that couldn't immediately be confirmed.
There was no danger to the public and no law enforcement officers were injured.
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella issued a statement:
"The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit is investigating a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Whiteman Street in Fort Lee, NJ at approximately 1:35 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. The shooting involved two agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration during an ongoing DEA investigation.
"The victim was transported to an area hospital where he remains in stable condition.
"The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office was notified but requested that the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office undertake the independent investigation of the shooting. Accordingly, the investigation is being conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Jason Love. No additional information is available at this time."
Musella's detectives were assisted by members of the Bergen County Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification who collected evidence at the scene.
The vehicle was impounded.
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