Trooper and suspect injured during Topeka traffic stop where shots were fired, KHP says

A state trooper and a suspect were both hurt during a downtown Topeka traffic stop where shots were fired on Wednesday.

The trooper pulled a vehicle over near First and Madison streets for a traffic infraction shortly before 11 a.m., Kansas Highway Patrol Lt. Adam Winters said in a statement. A struggle ensued during the traffic stop, and shots were fired. The trooper and a suspect were both taken to medical centers for injuries sustained during the traffic stop.

Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Melissa Underwood said the driver had briefly exited a Pontiac G6 before resisting arrest and getting back into the car to flee. The trooper, in an attempt to prevent the driver from leaving, ended up partially inside the car and was dragged. The trooper fired multiple shots during the struggle, and the driver was hit.

The trooper has been released from Stormont Vail Hospital after being treated. The driver is still at the hospital in unknown condition. Neither has been publicly identified by law enforcement.

The KHP trooper will be placed on administrative leave as the KBI investigates the case.

This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 2:22 PM.