A Montgomery, Ala. police officer is recovering after he was shot by a shoplifting suspect over the weekend.
Officer Robert F. Hubbard was responding to the Walmart store at 3801 Eastern Boulevard around 8:30 a.m. Sunday when officials say 31-year-old Matthew Lawrencereno Wright pulled out a gun and shot him multiple times as he was attempting to arrest the man, according to WSFA-TV.
The 5-year veteran of the force underwent surgery at a local hospital and is expected to recover.
"A police officer everyday puts that uniform on and goes to work not knowing if this is going to be the day he has a deadly confrontation with someone," Montgomery Public Safety Director Chris Murphy said. "This is what every family dreads when their loved one is a police officer."
While medical crews worked to save Hubbard's life, authorities from multiple agencies searched for the suspect, who was quickly identified as Wright.
Investigators say Wright rushed out of the Walmart, stole a vehicle from its owner at gunpoint, and fled the area.
Nearly nine hours after the shooting, the manhunt for the wanted fugitive ended hundreds of miles away in a wooded area of LaSalle Parish, La., following a pursuit.
Wright will be extradited back to Montgomery to face multiple felony charges.
The incident is currently under investigation.
