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State troopers shoot man, 76, after 911 mistake

Joseph P. Smith
@jpsmith_dj

UPPER DEERFIELD - New Jersey State Police exchanged gunfire with and critically wounded an elderly township man after approaching his secluded house around midnight Friday while investigating a hangup cellphone call to emergency dispatch, according to a statement Saturday from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.

The office's Shooting Response Team is investigating what happened at the house, located on the 300 block of Centerton Road in a rural area of Cumberland County.

The wounded resident was identified as 76-year-old Gerald Sykes, who was hit multiple times. He is hospitalized in critical but stable condition at Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

RELATED: State Police involved in shooting in Upper Deerfield

According to the statement, Sykes fired one round from a shotgun. One trooper was hit either from a grazing wound or flying glass, and both troopers who responded were treated at Inspira Health Network Vineland and released.

The initial investigation indicates that two uniformed troopers from the Bridgeton barracks were sent to the house in response to a 911 call received about 11:30 p.m. Friday. Sykes was home with his wife.

The investigation has determined that the 911 call did not come from Sykes' residence, as first thought.

"The shooting occurred after the troopers approached a sliding glass door in the rear of the residence and knocked, shining flashlights into the home and announcing that they were responding to a 911 call," the response team stated. "At the same time, there was an exchange of gunfire through the sliding glass door in which one of the troopers fired four rounds from his service 9mm handgun andGeraldSykes fired a single round from a shotgun. Mr. Sykes, who was struck by multiple rounds, retreated into the house."

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Authorities say the Sykes called their daughter, who called 911 to report what had happened. Dispatchers "facilitated Mr. Sykes coming out of his house so that he could receive medical treatment," officials said.

Evelyn Zielke, a Williamstown resident who is Syke’s sister, was on the way to the hospital Saturday.

Zielke said she didn’t want to talk about what happened immediately but was aware of the attorney general’s statement.

“They have admitted that he was not the target,” she said. “They made a mistake in address.”

The Attorney General's office said no additional details would be released at this time, citing an ongoing investigation.

Joseph P. Smith, (856) 563-5252; jsmith@gannettnj.com