BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-An Alabama police officer was shot as many as seven times by a suspected armed robber who was then killed in a shootout that ended in what authorities described as a running gun battle through downtown, authorities said Thursday.
The shooting, which happened Wednesday night, was among three involving area law enforcement officers within the span of a few hours. No one died in the other shootings.
Officers were answering a call about a robbery reported at a small grocery store when they saw a man leaving the scene, Police Chief Patrick D. Smith told a news conference.
Officers attempted to stop the man, who pulled out a gun and repeatedly shot Officer Cullen Stafford, Smith said. Authorities responding to Stafford's call for help were met with additional gunfire.
Stafford was shot between five and seven times, and Smith said a bulletproof vest "probably saved his life."
"He was still hit multiple times and he's going to have a long road to recovery," Smith said.
The suspect, whose name wasn't released by authorities, fired a handgun from several locations that stretched across at least five city blocks, ending with a final shootout in which the man was killed, Smith said. Police said dozens of shots were fired before the man died near a parking garage.
Stafford was hospitalized and underwent at least two operations with more surgeries possible. Stafford and another officer were seriously injured when fleeing homicide suspects rammed a patrol car in 2017.