UPDATE 2/9/22: Collier County EMS tells us the shooting on I-75 involved a woman in her 20's and Florida Highway Patrol confirms a trooper is on administrative leave.
Chief Tabatha Butcher at Collier County Emergency Medical Services explains, "When crews arrived they found a female approximately in her 20s that had multiple wounds which appear to be from gunshots we rapidly treated the patient and transported her to NCH downtown in critical condition and then we later took her by helicopter to Lee Memorial Hospital."
Florida Highway Patrol confirms the shooting happened on I-75 shortly after 10 a.m. on Sunday and it involved a trooper who was not injured and now on administrative leave.
Retired Police Chief Walt Zalisko who worked in law enforcement for 35 years explains exactly what administrative leave means.
"It’s a very traumatic experience for any officer to shoot someone and fire his gun, whether it involves a fatality or just an injury," said Zalisko. "The department has these policies to make sure that the officer's well-being is taken care of.
"It may involve some psychological counseling or medical evaluation," he continued. "The other reason is that they want to ensure the integrity of the investigation so that the officer has no part in it at any point."
When asked if this call on Sunday was different than the ones Collier County EMS have gone to in the past, Chief Butcher says it is not.
"We answer various calls; we never know what the call is going to be when were dispatched," Butcher said. "We just try to get there as quickly as possible and render aid to the patient so that they have the best possible outcome."
UPDATE 1/11/22: Collier County EMS confirmed to Fox 4 a female patient was brought to NCH with multiple gunshot wounds following this incident and was later taken via helicopter to Lee Memorial Hospital for treatment. The woman's condition is yet unknown. Florida Highway Patrol has also confirmed the trooper involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues.
Our original report follows below:
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday, January 9th troopers responded to a call on northbound Interstate 75 at mile marker 103.
FHP says an officer involved shooting happened and a citizen was injured during the incident. That person is being medically treated and the Florida Highway Patrol trooper was not injured.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is currently investigating and we will bring you more updates as soon as we get them from law enforcement.
As of 3:55pm Sunday - this continues to remain an active investigation.
