ST. LOUIS, Mo. — St. Louis police said one of their own was shot Sunday evening, KTVI reports.
The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. near Hampton and Pernod, in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood of St. Louis.
FOX 2 Now reports that the officer was shot twice in the face, and has been transported to the hospital.
At the hospital the 46-year-old St. Louis officer was conscious and able to give investigators a description of the suspect and vehicle. He told detectives he was driving down the street around 7:30 p.m. when a silver car pulled up on his driver’s side.
KMOX reports the attack may be connected to a recent carjacking. The officer reportedly thought the suspect’s car was pulling up next to him to ask a question.
@ChiefSLMPD says officer was driving down the road and ambushed. Shot twice in the face by driver who pulled alongside him @FOX2now #STL
— Gerron Jordan (@GerronJordan) November 21, 2016
BREAKING: @SLMPD officer shot at Hampton and Pernod in south #STL. May be connected to previous carjacking in Affton. @kmoxnews pic.twitter.com/aBZtqqB6fZ
— Michael Calhoun (@michaelcalhoun) November 21, 2016
Sources in St. Louis said the officer is conscious and is expected to survive. St. Louis mayor Francis Slay went to the hospital and spoke with the officer.
Shot officer is in critical but stable condition, and is expected to survive. Very encouraged that I was able to speak with the sgt. #fgs
— Francis G. Slay (@MayorSlay) November 21, 2016
Officer shot tonight thought suspect's car was pulling up next to him to ask a question, source says
— Christine Byers (@ChristineDByers) November 21, 2016
A police officer has been shot and is conscious and being treated at the hospital. More information to come.
— St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) November 21, 2016
Please pray for our fellow officer in #stl who has been wounded. https://t.co/13W7EGPFde
— St. Louis County PD (@stlcountypd) November 21, 2016
The St. Louis officer told investigators that he turned and saw the flash of the muzzle, then the bullets shattered his window. Two bullets hit him in the head, glass flew in his face, yet somehow he was able to stop without crashing and call for help.
St. Louis police flooded the streets looking for this suspect, and they found him. They tracked him down to a neighborhood, where they say the 19-year-old gunman fired shots at officers, and hit their patrol cars. Officers fired back as he ran off. That suspect was also fatally wounded.
Not long after, a Gladstone police officer was shot in traffic stop, marking the fourth officer to be shot nationwide on Sunday.