Houston police officer shot in back during traffic stop

HOUSTON -- Houston Police are looking for the person who shot an officer in the back Tuesday during a traffic stop.

According to HPD, Officer Terry Smith, a motorcycle officer, was conducting a stop around 6 p.m. in the 4200 block of Main Street near Midtown. As he walked away, the officer heard a loud pop then felt pain. A bullet had struck the 20-year veteran in the lower back.

A Houston Police spokesperson told sister station KTRK-TV that Smith was not wearing his bulletproof vest as is required by department policy.

Officer Smith was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he underwent surgery. He's listed in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery, according to HPD.

During a press conference Tuesday night, an HPD spokesperson said the incident is still under investigation.

"We believe at this time, since there wasn't a lot of foot traffic, it's got to be a passing vehicle that fired the round," the spokesperson said.

Investigators are also hoping to find a man and woman who were seen in the parking lot where the shooting happened. They say the pair was in a champagne-colored Buick and is believed to have been involved in an accident just before the shooting. The man and woman fled after shots were fired.

Police Chief Charles McClelland said the officer was not confronting any suspects, and investigators cannot confirm if he was even the intended target. They're hoping surveillance video will provide some clues.

Smith is assigned to the traffic division. He has six children.

In a tweet, McClelland said the shooting is a reminder there's no such thing as a routine traffic stop and officers must be vigilant at all times.