Gov. Nathan Deal and wife Sandra Deal visited a state trooper injured in a deadly chase and shootout that shut down I-75 in Cobb County for nearly seven hours Wednesday.
"@GAFirstLady & I visited Trooper Jacob Fields this morning at Kennestone Hospital," Deal said Friday in a Twitter post. "He was in good spirits & is on the road to recovery."
Jen Talaber, Deal’s spokeswoman, said the governor knows the 26-year-old trooper personally. From Easter egg hunts to Christmas tours, Fields has worked at holiday events at the governor’s mansion.
Fields, a three-year veteran, was patrolling southbound I-75 shortly after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday when he saw a dark blue Chevrolet Silverado speeding, Georgia State Patrol spokesman Capt. Mark Perry said. Fields followed, and the driver, identified by the GBI as 26-year-old Israel Vladimir Rodriguez of Acworth, refused to stop.
Rodriguez emerged from his truck shooting after hitting the back of an SUV near Delk Road, Perry said. The woman driving that car was treated for minor injuries at the scene, GBI spokesman Scott Dutton said.
Authorities said Rodriguez shot first and troopers returned fire, striking the suspect eight to nine times.
Rodriguez died Wednesday night at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta.
Fields, who serves out of Marietta's Post No. 9, was shot in the leg and the lower abdomen, just below his bulletproof vest. He was moved out of the intensive care unit and into a regular recovery room after undergoing surgery, Channel 2 Action News reported Thursday.
"Trooper Fields acted heroically in the line of duty," Deal said in another Twitter post. "We are grateful for his service and for the bravery of all @ga_dps employees."
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