East Palo Alto police officer shot following traffic stop, suspect chase
EAST PALO ALTO -- A police officer was shot following a traffic stop and chase in East Palo Alto overnight.
East Palo Alto police said the traffic stop happened in the area of Fordham Street and Purdue Avenue shortly after 11 p.m.. The driver fled on foot from the stop to the 2700 block of Fordham and was chased by officers.
During the struggle with the driver, he fired a shot and struck an officer, police said, adding that no shots were fired by officers.
The officer who was shot is a five-year veteran of the department. He was hit in the leg and his injuries were not life-threatening,
The suspect was identified as 44-year-old Willie Wiley of East Palo Alto. The gun he used was determined to be a "ghost gun" converted to be fully automatic with a high-capacity magazine, police said.
"We are grateful that our officer was not more seriously injured, and that the suspect and firearm are in custody," said East Palo Alto Interim Police Chief Jeff Liu in a prepared statement. "This is a stark reminder of the danger police officers face, and the ongoing dangers of gun violence. We must never forget the risk our police officers take every time they leave their families to serve our community."
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call Acting Commander Angel Sanchez at (650) 853-3154.