Bombing suspect charged with attempted murder

LINDEN — Police have charged the man arrested in connection with recent bombings in New York and New Jersey with five counts of attempted murder of a police officer.

Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, has been charged with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Monday. He was also charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

The charges stem from an exchange of gunfire at about 10:30 a.m. Monday morning during which Rahami shot a police officer in the torso, striking his bulletproof vest, the prosecutor said. The officer approaches Rahami outside a bar on East Elizabeth Avenue in Linden as part of the investigation into the bombings.

Additional police officer responded to the scene and shots were fired. Rahami was shot multiple times outside of an auto repair shop on the same street, several blocks west of where he was initially approached, the prosecutor said in a statement.

Authorities say after searching the scene, they recovered the handgun that Rahami used in the incident.

"Rahami was immediately transported to a local hospital for treatment and has since undergone surgery. Neither the police officer who was struck by gunfire nor a second officer who was struck in the head by a fragment of a bullet suffered life-threatening injuries," the prosecutor said in a statement.

He remains in police custody and is being held on $5.2 million bail. Rahami is also wanted for questioning by the FBI in connection with explosions that took place over the weekend — one in New Jersey prior to a Marin 5K race, and another in the Chelsea section of New York that injured 29 people. The FBI identified Rahami as a suspect in the Chelsea shooting Monday morning. New Jersey State Police have also said they believe the Seaside Park incident may have been connected.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.