Baton Rouge police say 2 officers, suspect shot

The Advocate is reporting that two Baton Rouge police officers were shot early Saturday morning as they responded to a call.

The two officers were involved in a vehicle pursuit when the shooter wrecked his auto, got out of it with a “long gun” and fired at the officers who returned fire.

One bullet grazed an officer in the head and the other struck the side of an officer who was protected by a bulletproof vest, police said. As of 9 a.m.it was said that the officer was in surgery but is listed in stable condition.

Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie Jr. said he does not believe the officers’ injuries are life-threatening. “Clearly the suspect initiated the firing”.

Gina Chambers of Baton Rouge says Smith, the son of her godmother, is on a ventilator in a hospital and may not live. The officers were hit.

“We will wait for (the Police Department’s) reports but also independently listen to all the witnesses and look at the evidence”, Moore said.

The two officers were taken to a local hospital before EMS could arrive on the scene.

Police say a suspect shot at them with a rifle; Chambers says she didn’t know Smith had a gun. Dozens of evidence markers were on the ground at the house where the chase ended, indicating possible bullet casings. He said at least one of the officers was wearing a body camera, but it wasn’t known whether he was able to activate it before the confrontation took place. The race of the suspect was not immediately available.

He said one officer was white and the other, black.

Chambers said Smith has been grappling with “mental issues” and had attempted suicide before he moved from Shreveport to his native Baton Rouge.

Terrell Starwood, who was staying a friend’s house, estimated he heard more than 40 shots.

“People need to understand if they have someone that’s on medication for mental illness, leaving that person alone in a home and expecting that person to take the medication that’s been prescribed is not responsible”, Holden said. Roads around the shooting scene are closed, police said.

“You would actually have to push him to a point”, Walker said.