Jessamine Ave. E & Winchester St., St. Paul
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The St. Paul Police Officer who was shot by a theft suspect remained in the hospital 20 hours after the late night incident on the city's east side.
It was one of two fatal police involved shootings Tuesday.
Officer Daniel King, an almost 11 year veteran on the force, went through surgery at Region's Hospital shortly after he was shot Tuesday night.
"He was shot while still in the police car; he was wearing body armor. I don't want to get into the details of where his injuries are at this point.," Assistant Chief Robert Thomasser said at a news conference.
Thomasser said King and officer Brian Wanschura had approached the suspect in a parking lot at 720 Payne Avenue near Minnehaha Avenue shortly after 11 p.m. on Tuesday. That's when the suspect fired on the officers with a long rifle. Wanschura was not injured.
One or both officers returned fire killing the suspect, 22-year-old Chue Xiong of St. Paul. Police say Xiong had just stolen the gun and a crossbow from a home three miles from where he exchanged fire with officers.
"There are a lot of serious challenges that police officers face everyday in their job. They can go from responding to a theft call to someone who is trying to take your life," Chief Tom Smith told reporters in the middle of the night.
Late Wednesday afternoon, St. Paul Police Federation President Dave Titus released a statement, which read in part: "The use of deadly force is never an easy decision, nor a decision officers take lightly. Our officers acted professionally and in accordance with their training to best protect the community. The results of these dangerous encounters can leave a mark on each of the officers' psyches and cause long lasting physical injury."
While Asst. Chief Thomasser addressed the media, Officer King remained at Region's.
"He's been through a traumatic thing. He's a tough guy and a strong guy and he's surrounded by family, both his immediate family and his law enforcment family," Thomasser concluded.
The shooting happened just hours after another officer-involved shooting in St. Paul that left one suspect dead.
In the first, the St. Paul Police Department was helping the Minneapolis Police Department with an undercover narcotics investigation near Jessamine Avenue East and Westminster Street.
Around 4 p.m. Tuesday, St. Paul officers spotted 41-year-old suspect Victor Gaddy trying to leave the area in a car. According to police, the officers blocked Gaddy's vehicle. That's when Gaddy started to ram the unmarked squad cars, ignoring police orders to stop.
Officers on the scene say they felt their lives were in danger. They opened fire, shooting Gaddy multiple times. Gaddy was pronounced dead on the scene.
The four St. Paul police officers involved in the shooting are all veterans of the department. Officials have identified them as Officer Edward O'Donnell, Officer Mark Farrington, Officer Joshua Raichert and Officer Christopher McGuire. They have been placed on a standard three-day administrative leave.
(Copyright 2012 by KARE. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)