A Burleson police officer is hospitalized after being shot several times during a traffic stop early Wednesday, which led to a manhunt for the suspects, police said.
In a Twitter post, Burleson Police said the officer had made a traffic stop at 4:15 a.m. along the 1100 block of Southwest Hillside Drive, near the Burleson High School Campus.
At one point during the stop, one of the three people in the car opened fire and hit the officer several times, Burleson police chief Billy Cordell said.
The group left their vehicle a short distance from the shooting site and may have tried to set it on fire, Cordell said.
The officer was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth for treatment. He was “clear and spoke” when he was taken to hospital, Cordell said. Further details about his condition are not known, police said.
The injured officer’s name has not been released at this time.
Burleson police are using camera footage to identify the suspects as soon as possible, Cordell said.
A Fort Worth police helicopter assisted in the search.
The injured officer served on the night shift for several years, Cordell said, adding that the incident is a shock to the department.
“This is a surprise. Burleson is a great, wonderful community of people. This is certainly not all we would expect, but it is always a possibility.
This will be difficult for the family. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, ”he added.
All morning, agents from various departments in the area have been entering the lobby of the JPS Hospital to show their support.
Bill Waybourn, sheriff of Tarrant County, was one of them.
“You’ll see cops coming in and out here, and deputy sheriffs and cops – they’ll all show up because that’s our brother out there and we know he’s our brother in arms. sure he and his family are okay, “he said.” We as a community will certainly get through this, but it just reminds us of the daily danger our noble people see in law enforcement. “
The Texas Rangers will take over the investigation.
The shooting is at least the fourth involving a Texas law enforcement officer in recent weeks.
An Austin police officer was shot and injured on Friday, while a state agent was shot and injured during a manhunt for a man accused of opening fire on a cabinet company. And late last month, a state soldier was fatally shot during a traffic stop near Mexia, about 75 miles southeast of Dallas.
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