New Mexico Officer Applies Tourniquet to Himself After Shooting, Killing Gunman

An officer was shot in the leg and a suspected gunman was killed during a gunfight in Albuquerque early Sunday morning, according to the Albuquerque Journal .

The incident began as a traffic stop. The officer — who has not yet been identified — had asked the driver to exit the vehicle and spoke to the driver near his patrol car.

"The officer then returned to the vehicle and began speaking to the passenger in the vehicle," the Albuquerque Journal said. "The passenger lunged at the officer and a struggle ensued. The passenger fired at the officer, hitting him in his left leg. The officer then shot the suspect."

The officer then went to his vehicle, applied a tourniquet to his injured leg, and successfully detained the driver.

The officer was to a nearby hospital and later released.

New Mexico State Police Deputy Chief Robert Eshom said that the incident "is a stark reminder of the dangers officers face when they put on their uniforms – never knowing what each traffic stop will bring."