Milwaukee cop shot amid spate of anti-police violence in big US cities
The officer suffered gunshot sounds to the shoulder, chest and abdomen
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Milwaukee gunman allegedly shot a city police officer Thursday night – hours after another man was accused of opening fire on three Houston police officers.
The officer suffered gunshot sounds to the shoulder, chest and abdomen, according to FOX 6 Milwaukee’s Ben Handelman.
"Arrived at hospital conscious and breathing with serious wounds," he tweeted, citing local police sources. "Suspect stole squad after the shooting but crashed two blocks away. We know a suspect is in custody."
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The unidentified officer, 26, was initially dispatched to respond to a sick or injured person who was seen by a witness slumped over in a vehicle, the Milwaukee Police Department said in a press release.
Upon arriving at the scene, the officer approached the vehicle, when the suspect inside the vehicle, a 22-year-old, then brandished a weapon and exchanged gunfire with the officer. The suspect, who was injured in the shootout, then entered the wounded officer's squad car and drove off, according to the press release.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A brief time later, the suspect crashed the police vehicle with another motorist and fled that scene on foot, the police department said. He was later apprehended and the suspect's firearm was retrieved. The driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash was taken to a local hospital for non-fatal injuries. There were no other injuries, the press release said.
The Milwaukee Police Department Homicide Division is leading an investigation into the shooting.
The officer, who has been with the force for seven years, was still hospitalized Wednesday with injuries that were described as not life-threatening.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It comes a day after a Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deputy was shot multiple times by a fleeing suspect.
A Milwaukee gunman allegedly shot a city police officer Thursday night – hours after another man was accused of opening fire on three Houston police officers. (FOX 6 Milwaukee)
"STOP SHOOTING OUR OFFICERS!" the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police tweeted. "This has to stop, the third officer shot in two weeks in Milwaukee. #EnoughIsEnough."
And on the East Coast, a Miami Beach officer is expected to be OK after getting struck by a car while pursuing a robbery suspect.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The chaos comes just days after a domestic violence suspect stormed through a door at his mother’s apartment and opened fire on two NYPD officers in New York City – fatally striking Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora before a third officer took him down. New York has seen five police shootings in the first four weeks of 2022.
Earlier in the day, three officers were shot in Houston, Texas, by a suspect who later surrendered to authorities after barricading himself in a home. The city is also still investigating the shooting death of Harris County Cpl. Charles Galloway, who police say an illegal immigrant shot with a rifle after getting pulled over, and the death of Harris County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Ramon Gutierrez on Monday after a drunken driver slammed into him during a traffic stop.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At least six officers have died in the line of duty in the U.S. so far in 2022 – with many others shot at, attacked or otherwise targeted by criminals, according to data from the Officer Down Memorial Page.
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And that follows 2021, which was the "deadliest year for law enforcement officers in history," according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Stephanie Pagones, Sarah Rumpf, and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.