NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A New Orleans police officer was recovering from a leg wound Monday after being shot for the third time in his law enforcement career.
Officer Christopher Abbott was in uniform working an off-duty private security patrol early Monday when someone fired a single round into the privately owned car he was in.
Police Chief Michael Harrison said the bullet went through the car door and hit the officer in the leg. He was in good condition Monday afternoon.
The shooter was in a light-colored SUV and was still at large.
Spokesman Aaron Looney confirmed that Abbott, a 25-year veteran of the department, had been shot previously in two separate incidents.
Archived news accounts show Abbott was on his way to a 2001 court appearance when he spotted a man with a gun and approached him. The man fired and hit Abbott.
In 1998, Abbott was wearing a protective vest when he was shot in the chest after stopping a suspect in a public housing project.
An investigation into Monday’s shooting was underway. Early indications were that Abbott did not return fire in Monday’s incident, Harrison said. However, he emphasized that the investigation was continuing.
“It does not appear that he was in pursuit, but we’re investigating that,” Harrison said as he answered reporters’ questions.
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