An armed motorist saved the life of a Trooper that was in desperate need of his help in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The motorist was passing by the officer on an Arizona interstate highway when he noticed the man being attacked by a gunman.
The Trooper was attacked after he got out of his vehicle in the West Valley area to investigate a rolled over car. While the officer was securing the accident scene that left one woman dead, he was ambushed by a gunmen and shot multiple times.
After the officer had been shot and was on the ground being grabbed by the gunman, a motorist driving by suspected some suspicious activity and stopped his car and then got out of the vehicle.
According to Col. Frank Milstead, director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, “I would just say at this point, thank you, because I don’t know that my trooper would be alive today without his assistance,” a reference made the man who saved the unidentified officer’s life.
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers this morning for our Trooper that was shot. Looks like he will be okay after some recovery @Arizona_DPS
— Col. Frank Milstead (@frank_milstead) January 12, 2017
Our Troopers and whole @Arizona_DPS thank you and Arizona for the support https://t.co/jN0i11uI6o
— Col. Frank Milstead (@frank_milstead) January 12, 2017
The officer reportedly had gunshot wounds to his chest and right shoulder due to the shots fired at him around 6 a.m. ET on Interstate 10 about 40 miles west of Phoenix, Milstead said.
This afternoon, Milstead shared on social media that “Yesterday’s surgery went well for our trooper. He & family ask for privacy during recovery. Appreciates outpouring of support.”
Yesterday's surgery went well for our trooper. He & family ask for privacy during recovery. Appreciates outpouring of support @Arizona_DPS
— Col. Frank Milstead (@frank_milstead) January 13, 2017
Milstead also explained in detail how the early morning tragedy unfolded. Saying, “As the trooper exited his vehicle and began to lay out flares, it appears at this point that he was ambushed by the suspect.”
“In the initial confrontation, the suspect shoots the trooper in the shoulder [and] right chest area at least one time, possibly twice, disabling the use of the trooper’s right hand and right arm.”
Then the gunman went after the officer with his bare hands and bashed his head into the pavement. Thankfully that’s when the motorist who has not been identified stopped.
After examining the situation, “That person retreats back to his vehicle, removes his own weapon from the vehicle, confronts the suspect, giving him orders to stop assaulting the officer. The suspect refuses. The uninvolved third party fires, striking and killing the suspect.”
The hero driver was later assisted by a fourth party who noticed the situation while driving and stopped to help.
Once at the scene, the fourth person, Brian Schober, of Scottsdale, Arizona said that, “My concern was (the officer’s) life,” and called the dispatcher from the Trooper’s car for help.
Explaining in the call that the man is in “real bad shape” and needs help.
The wife of Schober wrote on her personal Facebook page:
“Hubby stopped to help the cop on the way to work this morning. Glad to know that cop will be ok. God is good to us. HE has been watching out hubby on the road everyday!”
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(H/T NBC News)