MODESTO, Calif — An officer shot while serving a search warrant Saturday night remains in critical but stable condition.
In an update, Modesto Police Department said Officer Michael Rokaitis was shot twice during the incident, with one bullet hitting his ballistic vest and the other hitting him in the lower abdomen. Police said that shot injured an artery to his leg.
Police said the shooting happened after a reckless driving suspect and chase brought officers to a home on the 3100 block of East Orangeburg Avenue. The suspect surrendered, but after police got a search warrant and searched the home, another suspect inside started shooting, hitting Rokaitis. Officers returned fire and injured the suspect.
Rokaitis went through hours of surgery after the shooting as doctors work to stabilize him. Police said he is still in the ICU and in critical but stable condition with more surgeries ahead.
Police identified the shooting suspect as 42-year-old Jesse James Brooks. Brooks was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on three complaints of attempted murder of a police officer and other weapons charges. He was arraigned on Tuesday.
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