By Laura French
RAYVILLE, La. — A Louisiana EMT who is also a police officer was shot while conducting a traffic stop on Saturday.
Northeast Louisiana Ambulance EMT Marshall Waters was on duty for his job at the Mangham Police Department when he stopped a vehicle and was shot in the lower abdomen while he was stepping out of his vehicle, according to the Associated Press. The bullet struck him beneath his safety vest, police said.
Waters was in “extremely critical” condition immediately after the shooting and underwent emergency surgery, the ambulance service said in a statement Saturday. As of Sunday evening, Waters was in stable condition and EMS officials said “his prognosis is good.”
Police arrested Hermandus Semien, 27, about two hours after the shooting; authorities said the suspect had fled the scene and later crashed his car before being located and taken into custody.
Waters works full-time for Northeast Louisiana Ambulance Service and part-time for the Mangham Police Department.
“He is an individual who spends most, if not all, of his time dedicated to public service and public safety,” said Northeast Ambulance Service Spokesman Shane Scott, according to the Associated Press. Scott added that the agency’s thoughts and prayers are with both Waters and his colleagues who responded to the shooting.
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