A New Orleans police officer was ambushed and fatally shot on Friday, when his patrol team stepped out of their car to investigate something suspicious shortly after midnight. Other officers returned fire, wounding a suspect who eventually surrendered to a SWAT team, police said.
“Our officer collapsed right there on the scene” and died at a hospital, Police Superintendent Michael Harrison told reporters at an early morning news conference.
“They were on routine patrol,” he said. “They saw something that aroused their suspicion. They were exiting the vehicle and upon exiting the vehicle, what we have learned is that this perpetrator fired at our officer, striking our officer.”
The wounded suspect fled into an apartment and eventually surrendered to SWAT hours later.
The suspect was taken to a hospital with several gunshot wounds, he said.
Police believe there was only one suspect involved. The officer and the suspect have not yet been identified.
