Just confirmed, it was a Kentucky State Trooper who shot a suspect tonight (Thursday, May 15) at room 4 at the Royal Inn & Suites on Sturgis Road. The incident was directly related to an attempted robbery earlier in the day at the pharmacy at Morganfield Wal-Mart. According to a Wal-Mart pharmacy employee, a man walked up to the counter and handed a note to a pharmacy technician around 4 p.m., demanding Lortabs and Percocets. While the manager was paged to the pharmacy, the man fled empty handed.
Morganfield authorities had issued a warrant for the suspect, whose name is being withheld at this time. He had been seen driving a pickup, perhaps the dark colored Ford Ranger, which was parked in front of the room at the Marion inn.
When a state policeman found the vehicle at the Royal Inn and Suites, the trooper called for backup. Two Marion police officers, Bobby West and Marty Hodge, responded to the scene, also.
When contact was the made with the suspect, the shooting occurred. State Police spokesman Stu Recke (pictured being interviewed by WPSD TV) said further details will be forthcoming. He said the trooper's name was being withheld until Friday morning. The trooper was not injured.
The suspect was taken to Crittenden Hospital by ambulance at approximately 8:15 p.m. After being stabilized there, he was transported by ambulance to an Evansville hospital with a police escort at 10 p.m.
ADDITIONALLY ON THURSDAY, a gas tanker truck and car collided on U.S. 641 South near Mott City at about 1:30 p.m. The driver of the car, Barry Beard of Marion, was seriously injured after being ejected from the vehicle. The tanker driver was not injured.
The highway was closed for at least 10 hours as crews unloaded the fuel from the tanker onto another rig for transport from the scene. Workers were still at the location at midnight.
