Resident shoots armed intruder during struggle

A resident fatally shot an armed intruder during a struggle with the would-be burglar late Tuesday in Belleville that also left the homeowner wounded, authorities said. An armed man entered the Berton Place home around 10 p.m. and struggled with the resident, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. The resident was shot during the confrontation with the home invader. "However, the resident then fatally shot the would-be burglar. After being shot, the unidentified burglar fled and collapsed in Nutley," acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino and Belleville Police Chief Mark Minichini said in a joint statement Wednesday. The resident was treated for his injuries and released from an area hospital, according to prosecutor's office spokeswoman Katherine Carter. The spokeswoman confirmed there was another suspect in the home invasion, but did not release more details. "The investigation is very active," Carter added. The home on Berton Place is near the Nutley and Belleville border. Authorities did not immediately release more information, including the identity of the man who was killed. It was also unclear if more than one weapon was used in the incident. On social media, Belleville police said the shooting was an "isolated incident." "There is no threat to the public this appears to have been an isolated incident," the department said in a statement on Facebook Tuesday night. Township police did not respond to a request for more information. Nutley police referred questions to the prosecutor's office. A woman who did not provide her name, said she heard at least two pop sounds late Tuesday. Police from Belleville and Nutley closed off the residential block as investigators worked at the scene. A Nutley Fire Department spotlight tower was set up shining on evidence markers and what appeared to be clothing on the street, near broken glass.

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