Texas police officer 'ambushed,' shot at traffic stop; suspect in custody: Officials

The officer is "alert" and in stable condition, the police chief said.

April 14, 2021, 4:49 PM

A man was captured in Texas Wednesday afternoon after he allegedly shot a police officer during an "ambush" at a traffic stop overnight, authorities said.

Jerry Don Elders, 39, allegedly fired multiple shots at Burleson police officer Joshua Lott when Lott approached Edlers' car for an equipment violation around 4:15 a.m., Burleson Police Chief Billy Cordell said.

Lott, who joined the department in 2017, is "alert" and last was listed in stable condition, Cordell said. Authorities believe he was shot three times.

"He had a through-and-through shot to his neck," Cordell said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference. "It's an amazing story. ... It could have been a very different outcome."

After the shooting, Elders and two others who were in the car with him fled, Cordell said. The suspects' car then caught on fire and they abandoned the vehicle.

PHOTO: Authorities on the scene in Burleson, Texas, after a police officer was shot in the early morning hours of April 14, 2021, during a traffic stop.
Authorities on the scene in Burleson, Texas, after a police officer was shot in the early morning hours of April 14, 2021, during a traffic stop.
WFAA
PHOTO: Authorities on the scene in Burleson, Texas, after a police officer was shot in the early morning hours of April 14, 2021, during a traffic stop.
Authorities on the scene in Burleson, Texas, after a police officer was shot in the early morning hours of April 14, 2021, during a traffic stop.
WFAA

Authorities said they believe one of the suspects went to a home and carjacked a resident, who was shot and later died at the hospital.

"At 8:44 a.m. this morning, a female arrived at the Joshua Police Department ... with gunshot wounds," Cordell continued.

Elders, who was found in a wooded area near Gainesville, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon, was "likely involved in the death" of that woman, Cordell added.

Police still are looking for a second subject they said they believe was in the wooded area with Elders.

"We don't know for sure who that is," Cordell said. "They are continuing to search for that person."

As for the third person in the car when Lott was shot, Cordell said: "We know who they are. We've been in contact with them."