Police investigating shooting of revered Newark pastor Timothy Huff

NEWARK, N.J. — Police in Newark are searching for the person who left a pastor in critical condition.

CBS New York spoke to his family on Friday.

Cellphone video shows the beginning of the nightmare that unfolded for the Hudson-Huff family early Thursday morning. While their son’s car was being vandalized, they called 911.

“I’m out here with these young ladies here and they’re vandalizing our car and threatening us,” Delois Hudson-Huff said.

The family said police never showed up, and within the next 30 minutes the women returned twice. Eventually, as was captured on Ring video, one of them is seen opening fire on the home.

When the bullets went flying, Timothy Huff was sitting in the living room with his wife. He immediately used his body to protect her.

“Laying down there on the floor and my husband says, ‘I’m shot.’ ‘Like, you’re shot? What you mean you’re shot?’ ‘My chest is burning. I think I’m shot,’” Hudson-Huff said. “I put my hand on his chest and it’s full of blood.”

She got back on the phone with police.

“I was applying the towels to his chest and they were filling with blood and I’m telling my son it’s not stopping,” Hudson-Huff said.

The family said another 15 minutes passed by before emergency services arrived.

The devout pastor of Green Pasture Missionary Baptist Church in East Orange was rushed to University Hospital. He has since had two surgeries, including one to remove the bullet.

“The blood vessels around his heart were bleeding. Now we’re finding out his kidney has failed. They removed half his lung,” Hudson-Huff said.

“You’re sad, mad, anxious, scared. It all hits you at once,” Donovan Hudson said.

The blended family of eight children and 18 grandchildren said they have no idea who could have done this, adding Huff was not the target.

“He helped everybody. I don’t know anybody he wouldn’t help,” Dante Hudson said.

The family told CBS New York that Pastor Huff is on dialysis while in critical but stable condition.

CBS New York asked Newark police about the delayed response times. They did not answer the question, only saying the incident is still under investigation.