An East Orange, N.J. police officer was saved by his bulletproof vest after he was shot Wednesday.
Sgt. Mike Williams stopped a man riding a bicycle along North Oraton Parkway near New Street around 11 a.m. when the shooting occurred, according to WCBS-TV.
Officials say that the man suddenly pulled out a gun and shot the 12-year veteran once in the abdomen.
"It's something that we always know can happen, but when it happens to one of your own, of course, you feel very deep about it," Police Chief Bill Robinson told the news station while crediting the officer's bulletproof vest for saving his life.
Investigators said Williams was able to return fire, but missed the suspect who fled the scene. The officer then radioed for backup while on the ground. The officer, who works in a unit that looks for quality-of-life violations, was transported to University Hospital in Newark and is expected to make a full recovery.
A short time later, police cornered and arrested the suspect, 29-year-old Robert O'Neil, about a block away. He was charged with attempted murder and unlawful possession of a weapon.
