A Florida Highway Patrol trooper has been shot dead by a stranded motorist, who was then killed by another officer, according to officials.
The trooper has been identified as 42-year-old Joseph Bullock, a 19-year veteran who had interacted with his suspected killer for several minutes at the side of Interstate 95 when he was shot, according to Col Gene Spaulding, the highway patrol commander.
“People don’t realise when you approach a car, even a disabled vehicle or a car on a traffic stop, you are worried about not what is inside that care and what danger is waiting you, you are also worried about the 80,000-pound tractor-trailers that are barrelling down the highway behind you,” Col Spaulding said.
He said a passing police officer from Riviera Beach shot the suspect, who has not been identified.
Bullock is the 49th Florida trooper to be killed or die in the line of duty since that agency was founded 80 years ago.
The last death of a state trooper was trooper Tracy Vickers, who was killed in September in a traffic crash near Orlando.
Col Spaulding did not release further information, but the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is reportedly investigating the case.
Authorities closed Interstate 95 in both directions near the killing in Palm City, which is around 30 miles away from Riviera Beach, where the officer who shot the suspect was from.
The freeway reopened on Wednesday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
