(Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter)
Wednesday UPDATE: Search over, shooter at large, Highland closes for the day.
A Salem police officer was shot following a traffic stop Tuesday evening in the Highland area.
An officer pulled over a van in the 500 block of Highland Avenue Northeast around 8:30 p.m., police spokesman Lt. Treven Upkes said.
The driver fired shots at the officer before fleeing the scene. Other officers responded and gave the injured officer first aid.
Police located the shooter’s van about four blocks from the stop, Upkes said. That was at Northeast Broadway and Northeast Locust Street. As of 11 p.m., police were still tracking the suspect with multiple police dogs.
Soon after midnight, Wednesday, police ended the search.
The agency reported that the injured officer was released from Salem Health early Wednesday “after receiving treatment for multiple gunshot wounds.”
The Salem-Keizer School District announced on social media early Wednesday that Highland Elementary School, 530 Highland Ave. N.E., would be closed for the day.
“There will be no buses, pre-school, classes, or after-school care. The campus is closed to employees, and our Office of Human Resources will follow up about next steps. Safety is always our most important priority, and we must follow the direction of the police department at this time,” the district said in its statement.
Reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
Follow Salem Reporter on FACEBOOK and on TWITTER.
YOUR SUBSCRIPTION WOULD HELP — Salem Reporter relies almost exclusively on reader subscriptions to fund its operations. For $10 a month, you hire our entire news team to work for you all month digging out the news of Salem and state government. You get breaking news alerts, emailed newsletters and around-the-clock access to our stories. We depend on subscribers to pay for in-depth, accurate news. Help us grow and get better with your subscription. Sign up HERE.
Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
