(Camden, NJ) – At approximately 2:45 p.m. on Nov. 9, Camden County Police Department officers engaged with a vehicle with four occupants on the 2700 block of North Saunders Street. As units attempted to stop the vehicle, a male got out and fired at the officers. After the suspect discharged his firearm, the perpetrator fled the scene with a second occupant and barricaded himself in a garage on the 2600 block of High Street. The second occupant was immediately taken into custody on the 2600 block of High Street.
While the suspect was fleeing the remaining two occupants in the motor vehicle were taken into custody by officers on site.
Both officers who were the targets of the suspect were transported to Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and were cleared to go home later in the day. Neither was physically injured.
Once the suspect, Otto Simpson, 29, of Camden, was determined to be in a garage on High Street, the Camden County Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT) was activated and assisted the CCPD, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey State Police and the Camden County Office of Public Safety to apprehend Simpson. After pinpointing the location of the suspect, a four-hour standoff at the referenced garage took place and Simpson was taken into custody without injury at 7:52 p.m.
Multiple firearms were recovered from the site.
“This was a comprehensive incident with a variety of moving parts; first, I want to commend the officers who arrested this dangerous suspect. This violent offender fired upon our officers several hours beforehand and we were able to facilitate an arrest without discharging a weapon,” Chief Gabe Rodriguez said. “In addition, I want to thank all of the agencies and partners that came together to achieve our objective and made this undertaking successful by protecting the sanctity of life for all involved.”
- Simpson is charged with first degree attempted murder, second degree for possession of a weapon, second degree for certain persons not to have a weapon and forth degree charge of resisting arrest. Simpson was remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility.
- Heriberto Sanchez, 23, of Camden City, was charged with second degree possession of a weapon, second degree for certain persons not to have a weapon and fourth degree charge of resisting arrest. Sanchez was remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility.
- Tiara Simpson had several outstanding warrants and was also remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility.
Camden County Sheriff Gilbert “Whip” Wilson talked about the skill and professionalism of the SERT team and all of the law enforcement agencies on scene.
“These officers train for this type of situations on a regular basis and worked together with our partners to execute this apprehension,” Wilson said. “They did an outstanding job and in turn made the streets of Camden safer by getting a violent criminal out of the neighborhood.”
This is an ongoing investigation.
