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Vineland police shoot, kill man they say fired at them

One of two men suspected in an armed robbery was shot and killed by Vineland police early Sunday after he fired at officers who pursued them, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's office.

One of two men suspected in an armed robbery was shot and killed by Vineland police early Sunday after he fired at officers who pursued them, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's office.

Authorities said a gun was found beside 31-year-old Richard Bard Jr. after he was shot. The unidentified officer involved was placed on routine administrative leave.

At about 1 a.m., Vineland police responded to reports of shots fired in the area of Seventh and Cherry Streets. Officers said they found a robbery victim who reported that his two assailants had fled the scene.

Police said they found two men in the area of East Avenue and Almond Street and followed them on foot. One of the men fired his gun at an officer, who then returned fire, according to a statement by the prosecutor's office.

The second man chased by police fled the scene and had not been found by Sunday afternoon. Police consider him to be armed and dangerous and are looking for any tips as to his whereabouts. Police say he was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt at the time.

Police said the robbery victim was wounded, but did not elaborate. He was flown to Atlantic City Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.

The prosecutor's office is investigating the shooting with the help of the New Jersey State Police Crime Scene Investigation Unit. An autopsy on Bard, who is from Bridgeton, was pending Sunday.

Cumberland County has spent the last year and a half under scrutiny by civil rights advocates and state officials who have questioned police practices there.

In December 2014, Jerame Reid, a 36-year-old black man, was shot and killed by police during a traffic stop in Bridgeton, spawning a half-dozen protests throughout the county. A grand jury investigation in August cleared the officers, finding that they believed they were in imminent danger at the time.

Vineland police officers faced their own investigation in April 2015 when Phillip White, 32, died while in police custody. Citing witnesses, White's family and a civil rights activist alleged that the officers punched and beat White before he was placed in an ambulance with respiratory distress. They claimed a bystander's cellphone video showed a police dog biting White as he lay on the ground.

The hacking group Anonymous released the names, addresses and phone numbers of two of the officers involved in the shooting.

Eight months later, in December, a report released by the American Civil Liberties Union found that black people were 6.2 times more likely to be arrested in Millville, Cumberland County, than white people. The ACLU suggested stronger oversight of police agencies and a reduced focus on pursuing low-level crimes such as minor drug offenses.

The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office is in the midst of an "engagement series" for local law enforcement to discuss policing topics with the community, including the use of force. The series began in January and will include more forums in May, July, September and November.

jcastellano@phillynews.com

215-854-4521

@jill_castellano