A carjacking in Kearny over the weekend ended up with the suspect being shot in North Arlington — and that man now faces a slew of serious charges, including attempted murder, numerous law-enforcement agencies said.
Because there is more than one jurisdiction involved in the crime, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office is handling much of the case, though charges — including attempted murder — have also been filed by the Kearny Police Department.
In coordination with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office is continuing its investigation into the police-involved encounter that resulted in serious injury Saturday, June 14, Jeff Angermeyer, deputy chief of detectives in the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, said.
According to Angermeyer:
A preliminary investigation has so far revealed just before 5 p.m., Saturday, June 14, 2025, law enforcement confronted an armed suspect in connection with an ongoing armed carjacking investigation that originated in Kearny.
The suspect — identified in a criminal complaint as Emmanuel Etienne, 41, of Bayonne — was ultimately located on Porete Avenue in North Arlington. During the encounter, the armed suspect was shot by law enforcement and transported to an area hospital.
Etienne was treated for a gunshot injury and has since been discharged from hospital.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the Kearny Police Department, the carjacking occurred when a victim, driving a 2012 grey Honda Accord, accepted a Lyft ride. At this time, a victim told police he heard what sounded like bullets being loaded into a magazine. Shortly thereafter, Etienne allegedly discharged his firearm in the direction of a victim, striking part of the interior of a vehicle on the driver’s side.
Later, the victim fled and watched as Etienne got behind the wheel and fled east. Later, police found him on Porete Avenue, where a standoff resulted in the police-involved shooting.
The suspect remains in police custody while the investigation into the armed carjacking continues. Additional details will be released when possible.
Thus far, the Kearny Police Department has charged Etienne with attempted murder, carjacking, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes and unlawful possession of a handgun. Likewise, the Bergen County investigation into the police encounter is continuing and as of The Observer’s presstime, more details were not yet available.
Please check www.theobserver.com for updates.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.