February 13, 2010 - A manhunt continues for the suspect who shot a Washington State Patrol trooper early Saturday morning while the trooper was waiting with a vehicle that was going to be towed.
Two Washington State Patrol troopers stopped a driver for suspicion of a DUI. The female driver was pulled over near Long Beach on State Route 103 just after 1 a.m. The woman was arrested and one of the troopers took her to jail.
The other officer, Trooper Scott Johnson, sat with her vehicle waiting for a tow truck operator to pick it up.
Without provocation and for no apparent reason a man walked up and had a short discussion with Johnson and the tow truck driver. He then pulled out a handgun and shot Johnson twice, including once in the head.
The State Patrol said Johnson returned fire but they are not sure if the man was hit. Johnson was taken to a Long Beach Hospital, then to OHSU in Portland, where he is showing improvement.
"Despite having been shot in the head, he was laughing and joking with those around him," said WSP Chief John Batiste. "His behavior today sets a new standard for professionalism and heroism."
WSP Capt. Bob Johnson said at a press conference Saturday afternoon that Trooper Johnson is in stable condition and was able to talk to Gov. Chris Gregoire via phone.
"Given the circumstances, this being a near-death incident, he's very fortunate to be in as good a shape as he is at the moment," said Capt. Johnson.
Gregoire said in a press release that the shooting was another reminder of why Washington State needs to strengthen the protection of its law enforcement officers.
"Trooper Johnson and all of our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve us. They are true heroes," Gregoire said in a statement. "I stand with the entire law enforcement community during this difficult time."
Since Halloween nine police officers have been shot, six of them have died. They include four Lakewood police officers — Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens and Greg Richards — killed in the deadliest single attack on police in state history.
"This is constantly on our minds," said State Patrol Capt. Robert Johnson, no relation to Scott Johnson, at an afternoon news conference. "It's a trend the likes of which we do not recall seeing."
More than 60 officers from jurisdictions around the area went house to house in Long Beach. The search early Saturday included K-9 units and a State Patrol airplane.
The Washington State Patrol Troopers Association was offering a $25,000 reward, and Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers offered $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.
"I am troubled that we've had yet another police officer ambushed while performing what should have been a simple law-enforcement task," State Patrol Chief John Batiste said in a statement. Batiste joined Johnson's family at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Hospital in Portland, where the trooper was being treated.
State Patrol investigators continue to seek tips in the case and have established a tip line at 1-800-283-7808.
“I know that local citizens are outraged at the ambush of a police officer who has served them so well for so long. We have every confidence that we’ll get the tip we need to solve this case,” said Batiste.
The suspect is described as a white male, 35-40 years old with light tan complexion. He is 5'10" to 5'11" tall, and weighed about 185 - 200 pounds. He was wearing a dark colored insulated shirt and possibly a knit cap.
Source:
KING 5 News
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