Gunman suspected of shooting two New Jersey police officers arrested after 24 hour manhunt

Kendall Howard, 30, was taken into custody on Wednesday, according to reports

Police have arrested a man suspected of shooting of two New Jersey police officers, according to reports.

Kendall Howard, 30, of East Orange, evaded a large police manhunt for 24 hours before he was arrested on Thursday, police sources told NBC New York.

He has been charged with the attempted murder of two Newark police officers, who were wounded in Tuesday’s shooting, the outlet reported.

The officers had been responding to a tip about a previous shooting when a suspect began shooting at them from what police described as an “elevated position” outside an apartment building about a mile from Newark Liberty International Airport.

A bullet grazed one officer’s neck, while the other was shot in the leg during the incident. Both officers were taken to University Hospital and were in a stable condition, according to ABC7.

The suspect fled into an apartment building and managed to escape, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka told the Associated Press.

Police had placed a Newark neighbourhood under lockdown for 12 hours as they searched for Mr Howard, who authorities said was “armed and dangerous” in a statement.

Kendall Howard, 30, of East Orange, New Jersey, has been named as a suspect in the shooting of two police officers (Essex County Jail)

Federal, state and local law enforcement were involved in the manhunt.

Mr Howard has also been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.