Off-duty Camden officer shoots autistic man, caretaker

The daily routine of a young autistic man coming home from school with his caretaker went terribly awry Friday afternoon, when he banged on an off-duty police officer's front door rather than his own in Camden.

The Camden officer, believing his house was being broken into, fired through the ajar door and hit both men outside, authorities said.

The autistic man was shot in the arm and was in stable condition, a spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said, while the caretaker was seriously wounded. Both men were being treated at Cooper University Hospital on Friday evening.

Authorities did not identify any of the men, but a neighbor said the 21-year-old autistic man was Luis Medina, who she said was returning from a school he attends.

Mary Cortes, who lives a few doors down from both the Medina family and the officer's family in the 2800 block of Arthur Avenue, said "Luisito" Medina had lived there almost all his life.

"He's autistic and likes to play," said Cortes, a community activist. "He's like a little kid and was just banging on the door."

Medina was being dropped off at his home around 3:50 p.m. when he instead went across the street and began banging on the door of the officer, the prosecutor's spokesman, Jason Laughlin, said in a statement. Medina's caretaker was trying to stop him and get him into his own house.

Cortes described her street as a tight-knit community where Medina is well known. The officer also has lived there for almost two decades, she said.

He has a large window next to his door.

"People are angry because he could've looked through the window," she said.

Cortes said she was inside her home when she heard the shots and went outside to find Medina lying on the ground with his father holding him.

A man who answered the phone at Medina's home Friday evening declined to be interviewed.

The officer has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, authorities said.