News

Fairfield Police Officer Shot Multiple Times

Published February 1, 2010

FAIRFIELD — Before he was shot by at least two men in a Dodge Magnum, Fairfield police officer Gerald Veneziano gave a colleague the car’s license plate number — a piece of evidence authorities are hoping will be the assailants’ undoing.

The black Magnum with at least two men inside was parked just a few blocks from police headquarters, in an industrial park on Fairfield Road, when it caught Veneziano’s eye as the officer drove to work Saturday night. Acting on his suspicions, authorities said, Veneziano called the station to run a license plate check.

Less than five minutes later, the 26-year-old officer lay at the curb, partially conscious and suffering from multiple gunshots. The Magnum had vanished — but, authorities said, not before Veneziano got off some rounds.

Star-Ledger fileFairfield police officer Gerald Veneziano, 26, was shot multiple times Saturday evening on his way to work in Fairfield.Detailing the calamitous encounter, acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino today said several law enforcement agencies have formed a task force and launched a massive manhunt to find the people who shot Veneziano. The officer remained hospitalized tonight in critical but stable condition at University Hospital in Newark.

“The tragic events that have unfolded ... show how unpredictable and how dangerous it is to be a police officer in this country,’’ the prosecutor said during a press conference at Fairfield town hall.

Veneziano, a three-year police veteran, came upon the car at 300 Fairfield Road around 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Laurino said. The patrolman rang headquarters on his cell phone, but the officer he reached was unable to run the Magnum’s plate at that moment because of an unrelated emergency.

Veneziano, who was not in uniform, got out of his silver Volkswagen Passat and approached the Magnum, the acting prosecutor said. Beyond saying “there was some type of motor vehicle incident,’’ Laurino would not detail what prompted Veneziano to become suspicious or why he approached the vehicle.

After the shots were fired, 911 calls came in, the prosecutor said. Officers arrived to find their co-worker on the ground, but Laurino would not say how many times Veneziano was struck.

Authorities initially said he was hit multiple times in the abdomen, leg and torso. Veneziano was not wearing a bullet-proof vest.

The also prosecutor declined to say how many shots Veneziano fired or whether he struck his assailants.

Laurino said besides providing the plate number, Veneziano gave police a description of the car, noting it had tinted windows and was occupied by at least two men. He would not say whether the Magnum’s license plate was a New Jersey tag or if authorities were able to track down the vehicle’s owner.

At least one lead did not pan out today. Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said an anonymous caller reported seeing a car matching the Magnum’s description driving through the Somerset section of Franklin Township. He said patrol cars were dispatched and the New Jersey State Police used a helicopter to search by air, but they could not locate the vehicle.

Off-duty Fairfield police officer called suspect’s license plate before being shot
Laurino said in addition to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the task force includes the county sheriff’s office, the Fairfield and Newark police departments and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.

A Belleville resident, Veneziano is the first police officer in the 73-year history of the Fairfield force to be shot, township Police Chief Charles Voelker Jr. said.

Voelker called Veneziano a ‘‘very amiable and likeable young man’’ who he said had received several commendations. He said the officer had been a dispatcher for two years before joining the force.

The chief credited the “quick action” of three police officers with saving Veneziano’s life.

On Belleville’s Norton Street, where Veneziano grew up in a two-story brick home, neighbors said Veneziano is an only child who attended Seton Hall Prep and the Essex County Police Academy.

Rosemarie Catalfamo, a family friend and next-door neighbor, said she often told Veneziano she was concerned for him.

‘‘I would say to him ‘If you see trouble, get away fast,’’’ she said. ‘‘He’d say, ‘But that’s my job. I have to do it,’” Catalfamo said.

Authorities said $35,000 in rewards are being offered for information leading to the arrest and convictions of those who shot Veneziano. Those with information are asked to call Fairfield police at (973) 227-1400.