A police officer shot in the ear during a traffic stop in Buffalo, N.Y., was out of surgery Monday and recovering in the hospital, police announced.
Waiting for press conference to begin on Sunday's police shooting in Black Rock. Here is police searching at scene. pic.twitter.com/AecvcqLWIn
— Maki Becker (@makibecker) May 8, 2017
The officer, identified as Joseph Acquino, was in fair condition, The Buffalo News reported, adding that doctors were able to reattach his ear.
The traffic stop Sunday evening escalated into a struggle with the driver, 26-year-old Jose Hernandez-Rossy, ultimately shooting the officer, police said. A second officer fired back, hitting Hernandez-Rossy who was pronounced dead at the hospital, the newspaper reported.
The wounded officer underwent surgery at Erie County Medical Center.
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"Our prayers were answered. He's incredibly fortunate," John T. Evans, first vice president of the Buffalo PBA, reacted.
Police did not initially say what led to the traffic stop in the Black Rock neighborhood.
Acquino was the first Buffalo police officer shot on duty in more than a decade, according to The Buffalo News.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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