A probationary officer attempting to arrest a suspected car thief was shot over the weekend, and his field training officer returned fire, hitting the suspect. Chief Phil Smith, of the Evansville Police Department (Indiana), was moved to tears during today’s press conference in which he shared that the officer is in stable condition but may have lost the use of his lower extremities.

“Please forgive me if my voice gets a little shaky or if I get a little emotional. This is something very near and dear to me.  This is one of my officers that I'm about to discuss,” Smith said before providing the details of the shooting that seriously wounded Officer Sam Taylor.

“He ran toward the danger that other people run away from,” the chief said.

Around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, officers spotted a blue 2019 Toyota Corolla that had been reported stolen. Smith said officers used patrol vehicles to surround and block the Corolla at the drive-through window of a Rally’s.

Both suspects fled on foot, leaving the car in gear.

“The passenger, now identified as Jailani Chew, can be seen reaching toward his waistband as he exits the vehicle,” Smith explained as he played video during a Monday press conference. The chief added that Chew had just turned 18 last month.

The driver, a 15-year-old juvenile male, was pursued by an officer who deployed a conducted electronic weapon to gain compliance.

While attempting to handcuff that suspect, the officer overheard gunshots and then radio traffic that another officer was down. The officer immediately responded, and the teen suspect then ran off with the wires from the taser still attached.

Chew had fled across the street to a gas station and was attempting to carjack a female, the chief explained. Smith said Chew pointed his gun at the woman, and she exited the vehicle.

As officers were closing in on Chew, he fired.

“At this time, Chew realized that officers were gaining ground on him, and instead of surrendering to law enforcement, Chew made the conscious and intentional decision to take a shooting stance and fire several rounds at officers. At least two of the rounds fired by Chew made contact with probationary Officer Sam Taylor,” Smith said.

One bullet grazed Taylor on the left side of his head, and the other struck him in the upper left arm, according to the chief.

“Officer Taylor immediately goes down when he is struck. He did not have an opportunity to draw his weapon and return fire,” Smith explained.

Taylor’s field training officer, Officer Seth Gorman, was behind Taylor and saw him go down.

Gorman returned fire, striking Chew, who officers then took into custody.

Taylor was rushed to the hospital by an officer, and Chew was transported by ambulance.

The other suspect, the 15-year-old, was located hiding on top of a school and also taken into custody.

Smith said Chew was expected to be released from the hospital today and would immediately be transported to jail.

An affidavit of probable cause has been completed, and Chew is charged with two counts of attempted murder, one count of robbery, one count of resisting law enforcement, and six counts of criminal recklessness.