I normally do not and would not write about such a crime, but Fairfield New Jersey Police Department need your help....
A week ago Saturday (January 30, 2010) I received a frantic telephone call from my friend who lives around the corner telling me that a Fairfield New Jersey Police Officer had been shot just down the road from our homes. Within minutes after the shooting, a six alarm fire broke out in a different part of Fairfield, New Jersey. Come to find out only a short while before the shooting, paramedics and Fairfield police officers were called to a neighborhood restaurant for a medical emergency. Needless to say, it was a very frightening and disturbing night for Fairfield residents.
Officer Gerald Veneziano, a three year veteran of the Fairfield Police Department was shot multiple times by an unknown assailant at approximately 6:15 p.m. on Saturday night, January 30th, 2010. Prior to the shooting, Officer Veneziano reached out to another Fairfield officer to request assistance but due to the medical call in progress at a local restaurant, no one was available. A short time after Officer Veneziano placed the call, a 911 call reported shots fired and that Officer Veneziano was down. A quick response by fellow officers, medical personnel on scene and the hospital staff at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in Newark, New Jersey undoubtedly saved Officer Veneziano's life. Officer Veneziano was off-duty and on his way to Fairfield Police Department to report for his 7:00 p.m. shift. He was in his personal car and shot less than a block away from the Fairfield Police Department Headquarters on Fairfield Road in Fairfield, New Jersey. He was followed by the assailant for several miles before the shooting occurred.
Events leading up to the shooting and if and why Officer Veneziano was targeted are still being investigated. By the time officers had responded to the 911 call, the assailant was gone. At this time, it is still unknown who the assailant is and the police departments are working on and tracking down tips everyday. Countless law enforcement officers from numerous agencies are lending assistance in the search for anyone involved. The Fairfield Police Department, together with expert investigators of the Essex County Prosecutors Office, among other agencies, have created a task force to find the perpetrator. It is currently believed that there was a lone assailant in newer Dodge vehicle, possibly a Dodge "Magnum", "Nitro" or "Caliber".
Office Veneziano was doing what he was trained to do and what he does best....PROTECT the residents AND community of Fairfield, New Jersey. Please help keep Fairfield New Jersey safe and Fairfield Police Department needs your help. Anyone who may have seen anything or has any information regarding this crime please contact the Fairfield Police Department at (973) 227-1400. There is a reward being offered for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of anyone involved. All calls will be kept confidential.
Officer Veneziano needed life-saving blood the night he was brutally shot. Though he may not need more blood for his injuries, only previous donations made it readily available to him. It's never known when another may need it. Therefore,
The West Essex PBA Local #81 and the New Jersey State PBA
are hosting a Blood Drive
on February 11, 2010 between 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
at Fairfield Fire Department Center
5 Commerce Road, Fairfield, NJ 07004
The Blood Drive is open to both the law enforcement community and to the public!
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