Investigators in Lyon County, Ky., have arrested a man who is suspected of killing a state trooper. Police say that Trooper Cameron Ponder, 31, had pulled a car over on I-24 around 10:20 p.m. Sunday – and that the suspect then drove off, setting off a car chase.
Update at 8:50 a.m. ET: Suspect Caught
"It's over. Suspect in custody," Lyon County Judge Executive Wade White writes in a Facebook update about the search for the man suspected in Ponder's death.
Our original post continues:
The Kentucky State Police say the suspect, Joseph Thomas Johnson-Shanks, 25, drove off after initially speaking with Ponder. He then led the trooper on a chase for nearly 10 miles, before braking sharply, causing Ponder's police car to rear-end the pursued vehicle.
From the police update:
"At this time, the driver of the suspect vehicle fired several shots into the police cruiser striking the hood, windshield and Trooper Ponder multiple times. The suspect fled the scene on foot." Multiple law enforcement agencies are assisting with the investigation and search for Johnson-Shanks.
Ponder had graduated from the Kentucky State Police's training academy in January. A Navy veteran, he was a native of Rineyville, Ky., the agency says.
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