UPDATED: Police Officer Shot During Routine Traffic Stop

UPDATE (8:35 p.m.) — Alexandria police have identified the officer shot in Old Town this morning as Peter Laboy, 45. Laboy is a 17-year veteran of the police department. He has spent the past six years as a motorcycle officer in the motor unit.

The suspect is Kashif Bashir, 27, of Woodbridge. He is in custody and has been charged with malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. 

Laboy was wearing a bullet-proof vest but was shot in the head, according to statements made at a police news conference Wednesday evening.

Phone listings show Laboy is a resident of Alexandria's West End. He was honored for his years of service to the department during the city’s 2012 Employee Public Service Awards program.

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An Alexandria police officer was shot Wednesday morning during a routine traffic stop in Old Town Alexandria.

A motor unit officer stopped the driver of an Alexandria Yellow Cab minivan after the police department issued a look out for a cab regarding a minor offense.

Soon after, the Department of Emergency Communications began receiving emergency calls reporting an officer down.

The officer, whose name has not been released, was flown to Medstar Washington Hospital Center from the fields outside of Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy and is currently in critical condition. The officer is currently undergoing surgery, said city of Alexandria spokesman Tony Castrilli.

Police Chief Earl Cook is currently at the hospital and is expected to make a statement Wednesday evening when the surgery is complete.

NBC4 Washington is reporting the critically injured police officer is a 45-year-old man and a 16-year veteran on the force who has spent six years as an officer with the motorcycle division. ABC7 is reporting he was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of the shooting.

The driver of the cab fled the scene and a patrol officer spotted the vehicle going south on Washington Street into Fairfax County.

A police chase ensued, and Fairfax County police took over the situation when the cab entered their jurisdiction. The cab crashed off Fort Hunt Road, and the driver was arrested.

Alexandria Yellow Cab General Manager Kyle Summers told Patch that neither of the two drivers assigned to the cab involved in the incident was working at that time.

The Alexandria Police Department did not return multiple calls.