MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) - A man who police say jumped out of his vehicle while it was moving and later shot an officer has been released from a hospital and booked into jail.
Thomas Joe Braxton III, 37, is accused of shooting a Martinsville officer on Jan. 1, Virginia State Police Sgt. Rick Garletts said in a news release Monday.
Braxton refused to pull over for a traffic stop and then jumped out of his pickup truck while it was moving, Garletts said. The truck kept going and crashed into an embankment.
Officers later found Braxton behind an apartment building nearby. He opened fire, shooting one officer, Garletts said. Police returned fire and shot Braxton.
The wounded officer has been treated and released from a hospital. State police didn’t identify the officer.
Braxton was treated at a hospital in Roanoke and released Saturday. He’s charged with attempted capital murder and other charges. He’s been booked into the Henry County Jail without bond. It’s unclear whether he had an attorney who could speak for him.
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