St. Louis Cop Sitting in Patrol Car Shot Twice in Face

It's being called an 'ambush' attack
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 21, 2016 2:10 AM CST
St. Louis Cop Shot in 'Ambush' Attack
Police investigate a scene after a St. Louis police officer was shot in what the police chief called an "ambush" on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, in St. Louis. Police Chief Sam Dotson said the 46-year-old officer was shot in the face. The suspect got away and a massive search was underway.    (David Carson)

A St. Louis police sergeant was hospitalized in critical condition but expected to survive after being shot Sunday night in what the police chief called an "ambush." Police Chief Sam Dotson said the 46-year-old officer was shot twice in the face. The suspect got away but was shot dead by police around five hours later following a massive manhunt and a shootout, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. "Fortunately for the blessing of God the officer's going to survive," Dotson said during a brief news conference after the shooting. He declined to name the officer but said he is a married father of three who has been with the department for about 20 years, the AP reports.

The officer was sitting in traffic about 7:30pm Sunday when another car pulled up alongside his marked police vehicle. The officer told police he heard at least two shots. "This officer was driving down the road and was ambushed by an individual who pointed a gun at him from inside of his car and shot out the police officer's window," Dotson said. Mayor Francis Slay said the officer did nothing to provoke an attack. "He didn't deserve this," Slay said. "It looks like he's going to survive. He's going to be OK. But this is traumatic. It's traumatic for him, his family. It's traumatic for the city of St. Louis. He was just doing his job." (Earlier Sunday, a San Antonio police officer was killed in a similar attack.)

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