FoxNews.com confirmed that the Kentucky police shot and killed the 25 year old alleged murderer of Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder. The suspect, Joseph Johnson-Shanks, was killed after refusing to drop his weapon and surrender to police.
According to the Associated Press, Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder, 31, was conducting a traffic stop Sunday night around 10:20 p.m. on Interstate 24 when the driver fled, Kentucky State Police said in a news release.
A chase ensued with the suspect stopping abruptly, causing the trooper’s vehicle to “make contact” with the rear of the suspect’s vehicle, the news release said.
The driver then fired several shots into Ponder’s police cruiser, hitting him several times. Ponder was taken to a hospital in Princeton, Kentucky, where he died shortly before midnight, the release said.
The suspect then fled the scene on foot, police say.
Ponder had graduated from the Kentucky State Police training academy in January and was stationed at the state police post in Mayfield, the news release said.
State police said numerous law enforcement agencies, as well as helicopters and dogs were being used to help with search efforts in the rural, wooded area that has homes scattered about. Trooper Jay Thomas said there are numerous vacant summer homes in the area.
“We have a massive search going on right now with multiple agencies trying to locate the shooter,” Thomas said.
Police closed a 9-mile section of the interstate while the search was being conducted.
Later Monday the police announced they had shot and killed the suspect.