In the second reported ambush of police in the last three weeks in Selma, an officer was shot by multiple assailants using high-powered rifles and “military type tactics.”
Per the Selma Times-Journal, the male officer, whose name is not being released at this time, is in stable condition after being transported to a hospital by another officer.
Selma Police Department Chief Spencer Collier advised that the officer was fired upon in his squad car by multiple assailants, whose rounds pierced his bullet-proof vest. The wounded officer followed procedure and was able to accelerate the vehicle out of the immediate area before it overturned in a crash.
Collier did not mince words, saying law enforcement moving forward would respond “with overwhelming force” and if “officers reasonably feel their life is in danger, we are going to start carrying more people out of these things horizontally.”
“This today demonstrates our worst fears,” Collier outlined. “I only have one way to respond to this and that is with overwhelming force. I have asked for assistance from agencies from all over the states and federal agencies. We are going to overwhelm the city.”
Multiple state and federal enforcement agencies are assisting the police department with finding the suspects believed to be involved with this latest ambush, according to Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson.
“The nonsense absolutely has to stop,” Collier said.
He continued, “I no way mean this as a threat. We are trained well, but our message is clear. If our officers reasonably feel their life is in danger, we are going to start carrying more people out of these things horizontally. We cannot just be targets to them to kill and to gain street credibility.”
In Selma, the police chief explained that criminals are not only targeting law enforcement officers, but doing so in a coordinated, advanced manner.
“This was a very well established ambush,” Collier emphasized. “I don’t say that leisurely, but it was thought out. They even had the proper angles to keep from shooting each other. We are seeing more and more military type tactics in these shootings.”
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
