Shooting Injures East Palo Alto Cop

EAST PALO ALTO, CA — An East Palo Alto police officer suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds Thursday night, authorities said.

Willie Wiley, a 44 of East Palo Alto, was arrested in connection with the shooting, which involved a fully automatic, non-serialized “ghost” gun with a high-capacity magazine, according to police.

The officer, a five-year veteran of the East Palo Alto Police Department, suffered an injury to a lower extremity, the agency said in a news release.

A traffic stop shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday precipitated the shooting, according to police.

After officers pulled over a Dodge Charger driven by Wiley in the area of Fordham Street and Purdue Avenue for a vehicle code violation, a foot chase ensued as Wiley tried to flee.

The pursuit ended in the 2700 block of Fordham Street, where the suspect amid a struggle opened fire on the officer, striking the cop with a single shot, police said.

The investigation is ongoing.

No additional information was immediately available.

Earlier this month, the East Palo Alto Police Department honored the memory of Officer Richard May, who was shot and killed while on patrol in East Palo Alto on Jan. 7, 2006.

“We are grateful that our officer was not more seriously injured, and that the suspect and firearm are in custody,” East Palo Alto Interim Police Chief Jeff Liu said in a statement.

“This is a stark reminder of the danger police officers face, and the ongoing dangers of gun violence. We must never forget the risk our police officers take every time they leave their families to serve our community.”

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call acting-Commander Angel Sanchez at (650) 853-3154.