Suspect captured in shooting of Texas police officer during traffic stop
A man suspected in the shooting of a North Texas police officer during a traffic stop early Wednesday has been arrested, authorities said.
A suspect wanted in the shooting of a North Texas police officer during a traffic stop early Wednesday and believed to have been involved in a carjacking that later left a woman dead has been arrested, authorities said.
Jerry Don Elders, 39, is believed to have shot the police officer three times at about 4:15 a.m. Wednesday in Burleson, about 13 miles south of Fort Worth, Burleson police said. He was one of three occupants of the vehicle involved in the shooting.
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Elders was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Gainesville, 62 miles north of Fort Worth near the Oklahoma border, after a police chase and foot pursuit, Burleson Police Chief Billy Cordell said at a news conference.
Police later identified the wounded officer as four-year veteran Joshua Lott. He was recovering in stable condition at the hospital, Cordell said.
Elders, left, was arrested in connection to the shooting of Burleson Police Officer Joshua Lott, pictured right. Lott was recovering at a hospital and in stable condition, police said. (Burleson Police Department)
After Lott was shot, investigators believe Elders or one of the other suspects who accompanied him then carjacked a woman, shooting and killing her. Cordell said police later saw Elders and a second person fleeing in the woman’s vehicle.
A search continued in the Gainesville area for the other person who fled the stolen vehicle. A third person is being questioned "and we'll see where that goes," Cordell said.
Elders was wanted on two felony drug offense warrants when the shooting happened, according to police.
Elders was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony punishable by up to life in prison.
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The shooting is at least the fourth involving a Texas law enforcement officer in recent weeks.
An Austin police officer was shot and wounded Friday, while a state trooper was shot and wounded during a manhunt for a man accused of opening fire on a cabinet business. And late last month, a state trooper was fatally shot during a traffic stop near Mexia, about 75 miles southeast of Dallas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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