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Willcox officer shot, suspect injured in Thursday altercation

Posted at 4:39 AM, Sep 30, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-30 13:44:31-04

A Willcox officer and suspect were both shot during an incident on Thursday night.

According to Cochise County Sheriff's Office, a Willcox police officer attempted to stop a vehicle traveling without headlights around 8:20 p.m. The driver stopped, got out and approached the officer, but got back in the car and left the area.

The officer tried to make another stop and began pursuing the vehicle until the driver parked at a home and fired a handgun at the officer.

A second Willcox officer had since showed up to the scene and both officers returned fire.

One of the officers was hit in the upper chest area, but suffered only minor injuries thanks to a ballistic vest.

The suspect, a 69-year-old man, was taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries. 

Both officers have been placed on administrative leave per protocol during the course of the investigation.

No further details have been released.