Tow Truck Driver Chases WSP Shooter

Twenty-Five year veteran State Trooper Scott Johnson was shot in the back of the head Saturday morning following a routine DUI stop. While a fellow officer booked the impaired driver into jail, Trooper Johnson processed the vehicle for impound on the side the Highway. Without warning, a man approached Trooper Johnson and fired a gun. The wounded Washington State Patrol officer is now recovering from the gunshot wounds at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon.

Emergency services were initially notified of an officer down by a tow truck driver on scene. The flatbed driver of Hill’s Auto Body & Towing was in the process of hooking up to the vehicle that was ordered to be impounded by WSP. It was the tow truck operator that saw a brief exchange of words between the gunman and the State Trooper, then witnessed shots fired.

According to reports, two shots were fired by the mysterious gunman. One of those shots struck the trooper in the head and became lodged in muscle tissue behind his ear, only missing his spinal cord by a few inches. Trooper Johnson immediately turned and returned fire, likely missing his assailant.

As the gunman proceeded to flee the scene, the tow truck driver persued the attacker, but had to retreat after the criminal fired a bullet toward him. The drivers next reaction was to return to the injured trooper and call in for help. Responding officers in the surrounding community of Long Beach, Washington were on scene within minutes.

The tow truck driver was unharmed, but Trooper Johnson required immediate medical attention after the gunshot wound from point blank range. The tow truck operator reported it was the quick reaction of Trooper Johnson, moving aside when the gun was pressed to his head, that saved his life.

Police are still searching for the suspect and are offering a $26,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. Tips have been pouring in, but have not yet led to an arrest.

The man is described as white male, 35-40 years old with tan skin, approximately 5’10″ and 190lbs. He was wearing a dark insulated shirt and a knit cap.

Washington State Tip Line: 1-800-283-7808

Outside Washington Tip Line: 1-360-405-6650

The ambush follows a string of shootings on law enforcement that have killed six Washington State police officers since this Halloween. None of the attacks are believed to be connected, other than the fact that all of them ocurred in Washington State. Now the fight is on for emergency responders to protect each other on the streets in an increasingly dangerous environment.