Phoenix Police Officer in Serious Condition After Being Shot Several Times

A Phoenix police officer was shot and seriously injured early Wednesday while making a traffic stop, and the shooter or shooters are on the loose, city police said.

Authorities have arrested one suspect and are questioning two other people in connection with the shooting of a Phoenix police officer Wednesday morning. The vest he was wearing when he got out of his marked patrol vehicle likely saved his life, Howard said. The unidentified officer is expected to survive, says a police sergeant, per CNN.

It wasn’t immediately clear why the officer initiated the traffic stop or what may have sparked the shooting. A “door-to-door search” is now underway for the suspect, and citizens are being encouraged to avoid the area between Seventh and 16th streets, from Campbell to Indian School Road. “The good news is that we located and detained the three people we believe are responsible for shooting our officer”.

The officer was hospitalized in serious condition. The patrolman, whose name was not released, may need to undergo further surgeries, and it was unknown whether he will ever be able to fully use his arm and hand again. His vehicle, “a 1997 gold Ford Thunderbird, has [since] been found”. After he surrendered, officers found a.45-caliber handgun in the bathroom, according to police records.