LAS VEGAS, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Police in Las Vegas arrested a man accused of walking up to a patrol vehicle stopped at a traffic light and shooting an officer on Sunday, local officials said.

The officer was sitting in the passenger seat of a Las Vegas police SUV with his partner when glass started flying. It took them a few moments to realize they had been attacked, the injured officer's partner said.


"This assailant was carrying a semi-automatic handgun and fired multiple rounds at our officers as they were sitting in their vehicle," Las Vegas Metro Police Sgt. John Sheahan said. "One of our officers was struck in the hand at that time."

The injured officer was expected to fully recover and the other officer was unharmed, investigators said.

The uninjured officer immediately began chasing the gunman on foot and ultimately captured him, officials said. A possible motive was not initially revealed.

Sunday's was the fourth time in two months that a Las Vegas police officer has been injured by gunfire. Another patrolman was shot in the leg while on duty early Friday.