March 23 2006 trooper shot Tyler Texas

(March 23, 2006)—Texas Department Public Safety Trooper Steve Stone was in stable condition Wednesday after he was shot in the neck and shoulder during a routine traffic stop on State Highway 31 east of Tyler.

Stone had stopped two men in a blue pickup truck with Georgia registration.

DPS spokeswoman Lisa Block says the trooper was attempting to take the driver into custody when the passenger opened fire.

Tyler police then chased the suspects' vehicle and exchanged gunfire with the men.

The suspects' vehicle hit another vehicle and then struck a tree.

Authorities initially reported that one of the suspects was dead but later said both were alive and taken to the hospital.

Their conditions weren't immediately available, Block said

Smith County resident Jina Gipso, who lives near the scene of the wreck, said she heard 15 to 20 gunshots.

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