By Police1 Staff
LUDLOW, Ky. — A Ludlow police officer’s body camera showed how quickly an encounter with a suspect could have turned deadly for the officer involved.
River City News reported Officer Samuel Hodge made a traffic stop on Dec. 22 that almost cost him his life.
Hodge pulled over the driver for a traffic violation, WLWT reported.
The driver of the vehicle, Charles Reynolds, refused to comply with commands.
Reynolds, who was known to be skeptical of the government, demanded Hodge remove his hands from his patrol firearm.
Hodge commanded Reynolds to move his hand away from his waist. Reynolds told the officer to do the same.
“I am legally allowed to do so,” Hodge told Reynolds.
“So am I,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds then shot the officer several times, wounding him in the arm. The officer returned fire.
The suspect later died at the hospital.
A good Samaritan, James Megerle, helped the officer by making a tourniquet out of his belt. He was thanked and presented a plaque for his heroism.
Chief Scott Smith was proud of Hodge for his actions.
“He was about as professional as he could be,” Smith told the publication. “For a bad situation it went as well as it could have.