Two police officers were shot in St. Louis, a sheriff's deputy was shot in Milwaukee; and, three more police officers were shot in Houston.
Jan. 28, 2022 - Police & Law Enforcement Officers continue to be the victims of a violent trend, as six officers were the victims of gun violence over just the past two days, prompting a somber post from a Michigan sheriff.
Mike Bouchard, the Oakland County sheriff, took to Twitter late Thursday to post a photo of the condolence letters that his office plans to send out to other police agencies. He said the letters are intended "for first responders who died in the line of duty in January."
"And unfortunately, another three officers were shot today in Houston. Prayers," he posted.
Three police officers were hospitalized during a separate shooting incident in Houston, after a suspect shot one officer in the foot, another in the leg, and a third officer in the arm, all of whom were hospitalized in stable condition at Memorial Hermann Hospital, authorities said.
The shootings targeting law enforcement officers on Thursday were not isolated in Houston.
Two more police officers were shot Wednesday afternoon in St. Louis: a Milwaukee sheriff's deputy was shot several times during a traffic stop Wednesday evening; and, three more officers were shot in Houston on Thursday, in separate instances, authorities said.
One St. Louis police officer was in "very critical, very unstable" condition after he was shot in the leg and another officer was shot in the abdomen around 1 p.m during a traffic stop, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Chief John Hayden said during a press conference on Wednesday.
"I am asking the public to pray for our officers. This is a rough time," Hayden said. "They're doing everything they can to keep people safe, and we keep having these critical incidents."
The officer who was critically injured had been serving in the force for three and a half years, while the other officer has been on two and a half years, according to the chief. Both are in their mid-20s.