Police Officer Recovering After Being Shot for Third Time in His Law Enforcement Career

Police in New Orleans are searching for a gunman they said shot an officer, who has now survived a shooting for the third time in his law enforcement career, cops said.

Officer Chris Abbott was patrolling near Camp and Leontine streets when a vehicle that approached from behind began to pass his car at about 1:15 a.m. Monday, the NOPD said.

The SUV then slowed down as it passed, and someone in the car fired multiple times, striking Abbott once in the leg, officials said.

Abbott was in his private vehicle working a private, off-duty neighborhood watch detail for the Hurstville Security Neighborhood Improvement District at the time, but was in uniform, Police Superintendent Michael Harrison told reporters.

“One round struck the officer in the leg,” Harrison said. “He is in good condition."

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Abbott was taken to University Medical Center, where he was treated before his release by midday.

It was the third time Abbott, who has been with NOPD since 1992, had been shot in the line of duty, authorities said.

He was first shot in 1998 after stopping a suspect in the C.J. Peete public housing development, WWL-TV reported.

In 2001, he suffered gunshot wounds to the head, chest and stomach when he stopped an armed man walking near Treme, close to Dumaine and North Johnson streets, the TV station reported.

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In Monday’s incident, it did not appear Abbott returned fire.

No arrests have been made in the shooting.

The shooter was in a light-colored SUV, which was believed to have a rear windshield that was either shattered or missing, Harrison said. 

"There are more questions we have to ask, information we need to get," Harrison said. "We have protocols we are going to follow to ascertain and confirm all the answers to those questions."

Anyone with information about Monday's shooting or the vehicle is asked to contact 2nd District detectives at (504) 658-6020.

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