Police-gang relations have escalated in the New Jersey area after a New Jersey Bloods gang member Lawrence Campbell shot and killed a rookie police officer Melvin Santiago.
Campbell was then gunned down by police afterward. Bloods gang members in the area have claimed that they will continue with cop killings until the National Guard is called out.
The blood gang was quoted saying that they will “kill a Jersey City cop and not stop until the National Guard is called out.”
Officer Santiago was reportedly ambushed on Sunday while responding to an armored car robbery at a 24-hour Walgreens. Other officers then returned fire on Campbell, killing the 27-year-old at the scene. A memorial for Campbell went up in his neighborhood after he was shot, and taken down on Tuesday; but his widow, Angelique, stated that she was not going to resurrect the memorial. Angelique even stated to a New Jersey News station that her deceased husband should have killed more police officers if they were intending to shoot to kill. She later apologized for these rash comments that were clearly made out of anger. Angelique told the Associated Press, “Both families are hurt. Let this cop be laid to rest peacefully. Let Lawrence be put to rest peacefully. That’s it.”
Authorities claimed that Campbell had attempted to rob the armored truck after he had thrown a post through the window of the truck. He and Santiago then got into a scuffle over Santiago’s rifle. When authorities ordered Campbell to go to the ground, he refused and hid his hands in his waistband.
Following three shootings involving police, the authorities released a statewide alert that Bloods gang members were taking retaliatory action against police officers.
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