St. Louis officer wounded after car struck with gunfire

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A St. Louis police officer was hospitalized Thursday after his police car was struck with gunfire.

STLtoday.com, the Web site for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, said the officer suffered wounds to the shoulder and chin in the incident that happened about 2:30 a.m. Thursday. His wounds were not considered life-threatening.

"He will survive, and his wife is at his side," Police Chief Joe Mokwa told KTVI-TV.

Other police officers had been shot at earlier in the morning, but no one was hit, the newspaper Web site said. Calls to police were not returned.

The officer was apparently on routine patrol when someone peppered the squad car with gunfire with no apparent provocation. Mokwa told KTVI that 14 shell casings were found and that six bullets struck the police car, smashing windows and poking holes in its door.

The shooter or shooters remained at large.

The name of the officer was not released. He was described as 40 years old and an 18-year veteran of the department.

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Information from: www.STLtoday.com.