Fort Worth Officer Recovering After Shooting
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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - A police officer is recovering in the hospital on Friday after being shot in the line of duty on Thursday night. Authorities with the Fort Worth Police Department are very optimistic that the sergeant will be okay. He is now in stable condition.
Sources stated that the officer is Sgt. Shane Drake, a 19-year veteran with the department. Several patrol cars have been at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. Police rushed there to be by the sergeant's side during his recovery. Drake was shot at least one time and required surgery.
The incident happened Thursday night as officers were responding to a home in southwest Fort Worth, near the Hulen Mall. A woman inside of the house pressed a panic alarm several times. When officers arrived at the house, the woman told them to check on her adult son.
Police opened the door to a back bedroom, but the suspect allegedly took out a handgun and started to fire shots. That is when Drake was struck, somewhere near his stomach. The motive for the shooting is not yet clear. It is not yet known if drugs or alcohol played a factor in this case.
"It's always difficult when an officer gets injured in the line of duty," explained Cpl. Tracey Knight with the Fort Worth Police Department. "We all do this job for the love of the job and for the love of the community, and we all know what can happen. But is painful every time it happens across the country, and it's especially painful when it happens here at home."
The suspect was also shot and killed by police. He was later identified as 40-year-old Wendell King. Neighbors all knew him as 'the lawn man' since he has been mowing lawns in the area since he was in high school.
"Pray for our officer, pray for the family here at this house," said neighbor Brenda Silcox.
