A search continued Tuesday for a gunman who shot and injured a deputy with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office on Monday evening during a traffic stop.
Deputy Breanton Chitwood was saved by his bulletproof vest, said Clay County Sheriff Jeff Lyde in a Facebook video post.
Chitwood was slightly injured when the bullet struck his vest in the upper chest, Lyde said.
“The vest caught the bullet,” the sheriff said. “He’s going to be fine.”
The sheriff said Chitwood managed to fire one round at the gunman, striking the vehicle. The suspect drove away from the scene after the shooting.
The shooting occurred about 7 p.m. Monday near Jolly, Texas, in Clay County. Jolly is about 10 miles southeast of Wichita Falls.
A Blue Alert was issued Monday night by the Texas Department of Public Safety for the unknown gunman and the vehicle, a white Cadillac sedan.
Blue Alerts are designed to help in the capture of violent criminals who kill or seriously wound local, state, or federal law enforcement officers, according to the DPS.
Though the search for the shooter continues, the alert was discontinued Tuesday because the car has been found and investigators don’t have a detailed description or identity of the suspect.
”We don’t have a suspect to put on the alert,” the sheriff said Tuesday.
