COLUMBUS COUNTY, North Carolina -- A state trooper was killed Wednesday after a traffic stop turned into a deadly shooting.
According to WECT-TV, the trooper was shot while conducting a traffic stop on U.S. 701 near Sellers Town Road in Columbus County on Oct. 17.
“At approximately 12:15 a.m. this morning, a trooper assigned to Columbus County stopped a white GMC pickup truck for a speeding violation on US 701 near Sellers Town Road,” Mike Baker, public information officer for the State Highway Patrol, said in a media briefing. “The driver of that vehicle fired several shots, striking the trooper.
Baker said he was "transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries."
A police chase followed. When the driver became disabled on railroad tracks, the driver fled on foot. After an extensive search, the suspect was later taken into custody.
"Please keep highway patrol, the trooper's family and the entire organization in your helpful prayers as we're definitely grieving as a result of our loss," Baker said.
