A Pennsylvania state trooper was shot in the leg early Friday morning when he and another trooper responded to a disturbance they had noticed at a convenience store in Aliquippa while on patrol. Bystanders rendered aid to the wounded trooper and assisted the other trooper with apprehension of the gunman.
State police say troopers approached a suspect who ran into the store. That suspect allegedly shot one trooper in the leg, reports WTAE. The wounded trooper was airlifted to a Pittsburgh hospital following the shooting.
“The troopers exited their patrol vehicles and entered the Mini Mart. As soon as they entered the Mini Mart, they encountered a male subject that was armed. Immediately the male subject fired upon the troopers, striking one trooper in the leg,” says TPR Joshua Black. “The suspect was then taken into custody by the other trooper as well as patrons of the store.”
Black identified the suspect as 41-year-old Damian Ray Bradford, of Pittsburgh, and said the incident is being investigated by the Troop D Major Case Team, the Troop D Forensic Services Unit, the Troop D Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Specialists (CARS) Unit, and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office. The trooper said charges will be forthcoming against Bradford.
“We’re extremely fortunate this morning that our trooper is okay and the prospect for a full recovery looks good at this time,” says Capt. William A. Maitland, Troop D commanding officer. “I would like to thank the EMS, the doctors, and medical staff that worked diligently to save the trooper’s life and on top of that the members from the community who stepped in and without hesitation assisted our troopers, not only the trooper who was shot, but assisted the other trooper with getting the suspect into custody.”
