Police: Trooper shot, critically injured during traffic stop

A Louisiana state trooper was shot in the head and critically injured Sunday afternoon during a struggle with a man whose pickup truck had run into a ditch after being reported as driving erratically, Louisiana State Police said.

     

Other drivers stopped to help, said Sgt. James Anderson, southwest Louisiana spokesman for state police.

"As I understand it, they rendered aid to the trooper, they called for help using the trooper's radio, and they detained the suspect," he said.

He said the officer was in critical but stable condition Sunday evening, and the man accused of shooting him was also in a hospital.

"He struggled with the guys who came to assist — had some scrapes on him and so on," Anderson said.

Neither the officer's nor the arrested man's name or age was immediately released.

Anderson said he hasn't been told what charges the driver faces. "Customarily, attempted murder of a police officer would be a charge that would fit."

He said police had received calls Sunday about a maroon Dodge pickup truck with a camper shell that was driving erratically. A bit later, it was reported in a ditch. The trooper got to the truck at 2:43 p.m., Anderson said.

"Sometime after that, he encountered the driver and a struggle ensued," he said. "Our trooper was shot in the head."

Col. Michael D. Edmonson, head of state police, wrote about the shooting on the department's Facebook page. The message's subject line was "Trooper Critically Injured — Prayers Needed."

"Please take a moment from your Sunday afternoon to send prayers and well wishes to the Trooper and his family in this critical time," Edmonson wrote.

Within an hour, 5,100 people had shared the post and nearly 2,000 had posted messages saying they were praying.