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As an Allentown officer was on routine patrol in the American Plaza parking lot, adjacent to American Parkway and Hamilton Streets, he heard gunshots being fired amongst a crowd of people and saw a man repeatedly firing a handgun around 2 a.m. on June 12, according to the Allentown Police Department.
The man, later identified as 22-year-old Elyn Jose Marte, reportedly failed to follow repeated verbal commands from the officer to drop the gun, to which the officer responded by firing four shots at Marte, police said.
Marte was taken by EMS to an area hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition, police said.
No other injuries were reported.
Evidence from the scene revealed that Marte was armed with a 9mm caliber, Polymer80, Inc. brand handgun “ghost gun”, with no serial number and an extended magazine, police said.
An arrest warrant will be obtained to charge Marte with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms, police said.
The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted jointly by members of the Allentown Police Department Criminal Investigations Division, Lehigh County Detectives, and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Allentown Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 610-437-7721.
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