Prosecutor: Cops cleared in shooting of armed Camden man

Four police officers were legally justified in shooting and wounding a Camden man who shot at them in 2017, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office said Monday.

Shlawrence Ross, 38, allegedly fired shots in a speakeasy on Louis Street in Camden early on Dec. 3 when three Camden County police officers responded to the sound of gunfire shortly after 3:35 a.m.

As the officers approached Ross, who was standing in the street while others were fleeing, he fired at them and they returned fire, the Prosecutor’s Office said. The officers, joined by a fourth, then ran after Ross and apprehended him. A .32-caliber handgun was found on the ground along the path of the pursuit.

Ross was shot twice.

Shell casings found at the speakeasy and a bullet specimen recovered from a police vehicle matched the .32-caliber gun.

The Prosecutor’s Office said the officers’ version of events was supported by video from body cameras and independent witnesses. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office investigated the shooting and concurred with the Prosecutor’s Office.

Ross was charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and related offenses. His case is pending in Superior Court.