14-year-old charged with murder of Newark police officer

By Nadine El-Bawab & Victoria Arancio

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of a Newark, New Jersey, police officer, after shots were exchanged between police and a group on Friday night, according to prosecutors.

Joseph Azcona, 26, a five-year veteran of the Newark Police Department was shot during the incident and pronounced dead at the hospital hours later, police said.

A second officer and a suspect were shot, both sustaining non-life threatening injuries, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens.

Newark Police Department

In this photo released by the Newark Police Department, Detective Joseph Azcona is shown.

Police officers were investigating possible illegal firearms at around 6:30 p.m. when the shots were exchanged, Stephens said at a press conference Saturday.

Four other have also been taken into custody, Stephens said.

The 14-year-old suspect is also charged with attempted murder and possession with illegal weapons. He suffered non-life threatening injuries, Stephens said.

"Law enforcement officers leave their loved ones everyday and put their lives on the line for the safety and wellbeing of our communities," Essex County Sheriff Amir Jones said in a statement Saturday.

"The egregious acts that took place last night have left a family, a community and the brotherhood and sisterhood of law enforcement devastated and with a void that can never be filled," Jones said.