By Police1 Staff
NEWARK, N.J. — Surveillance footage shows an off-duty officer helping to thwart an attempted armed robbery at a New Jersey barbershop.
Newark police said a man armed with a handgun walked into a barbershop Tuesday and attempted to rob it, NBC New York reports. The suspect’s gun jammed when he pointed at a man cutting hair, prompting the barber and an off-duty officer, who was sitting in the chair, to tackle him.
During the ensuing struggle, the officer fired two shots at the suspect, according to WABC-TV. The suspect was struck and fled the scene in a getaway car.
Responding officers pursued the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Phillip Hedgespeth, and caught him a short time later. Police said Hedgespeth was being treated at a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Joe Adama, a friend and co-worker of the targeted barber, said the unidentified officer “just happened to come by, they were having a conversation, that’s the reason he was here.”
Hedgespeth was arrested on robbery and weapons charges. The officer was not injured in the incident.