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Breaking: State Trooper Gunned Down, Police Make Big Announcement About Suspect
The man accused of gunning down a Kentucky state trooper who was also a Navy veteran has been captured, officials said Monday.
“It’s over. Suspect in custody.” read an 8 a.m. Facebook post from Lyon County Judge Executive Wade White. Police launched a massive overnight search after the Sunday night shooting.
“Pray for our guys that are out here,” White said early Monday as multiple police agencies searched a region of small summer homes.
White later said the suspect, identified as Joseph Thomas Johnson-Shanks, 25, of Missouri, was taken into custody at about 7:30 a.m. and was taken away in an ambulance. Further details were not available early Monday.
Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder, 31, was pronounced dead late Sunday after being shot multiple times. Ponder had been a Kentucky state trooper since January.
“My brother was the best man in the world and did not deserve what happened to him,” Ponder’s sister, Kelly, posted Monday on the Kentucky State Police Facebook page.
A Kentucky State Police statement said Ponder was conducting a traffic stop on the westbound side of Interstate 24 in the western part of the state at about 10:20 p.m. when a driver who was being stopped took off from the scene. After a nine-mile pursuit, the suspect’s car stopped suddenly, causing Ponder to crash his car into the suspect’s vehicle.
Johnson-Shanks exited his vehicle and fired at Ponder, police said. Ponder suffered multiple wounds. His car was struck by multiple shots as well. Johnson-Shanks then fled on foot.
“Our condolences go out to the family, when you lose your finest it hurts,” White said. “I’m very disappointed at how things are going in this country. It’s sad.”
White noted that the region had only recently held services in support of the police.
The county “called two prayer services for our local state police, for people to come out and pray. We had well over 200 or so, to pray for our troops and pray for our state police and here we have this,” White said.
h/t: Fox News
Source: http://www.westernjournalism.com/breaking-state-trooper-gunned-down-police-make-big-announcement-about-suspect/
