A deputy constable is expected to survive after he was shot six times from behind in Houston late Wednesday night, according to multiple reports.
Authorities identified the shot constable as Alden Clopton, an 11-year veteran of the Harris County Precinct 7 Constable's Office.
"He's a father," Lt. Holland Jones, of the Harris County Precinct 7 Constable's Office, said Thursday morning. "He's a great deputy. He's experienced, he's knowledgeable and this is a tragic, tragic event for Precinct 7."
Clopton was shot around 11:20 p.m. Wednesday as he stood by another deputy constable's vehicle after a traffic stop, The Associated Press reported. He was rushed to a local hospital where doctors said he would be held in surgery for hours as they dealt with injuries to his abdomen and a bullet lodged in his heart, Jones said.
"(The shooting) was completely unprovoked," Pamela Greenwood, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Precinct 7 Constable's Office, told The Associated Press.
Clopton was last listed in stable condition, according to KTRK.
The TV station reported Clopton had a bulletproof vest on at the time of the shooting but Jones declined to confirm Clopton was wearing one, saying authorities are currently focused on watching his condition.
Authorities were questioning a suspect in the case Thursday, according to The Associated Press. The suspect was not immediately identified or arrested.
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