Man booked for attempted murder after injuring cop in overnight shooting; wounded officer identified

BATON ROUGE - A police officer was shot in the leg Monday evening while responding to a domestic altercation at an apartment complex off Nicholson Drive.

Authorities were dispatched just before 8:00 Monday night to the 900 block of Geranium Street, located off Nicholson Drive about one block north of LSU's campus.

Video from the scene shows a police officer limping with assistance to an ambulance. Sources have confirmed a police officer was shot in the leg and was taken to a local hospital for treatment where he remains in stable condition.

BRPD Sgt. L'Jean McKneely says the incident stemmed from a domestic dispute involving a man and a woman, both of whom have been detained. McKneely says investigators believe the man, identified as 24-year-old Clifton Eames, shot the officer.

Police officers did not fire, McKneely said.

Officials say responding to domestic disputes can be some of the most dangerous calls for law enforcement.

"Very dangerous because you don't know the extent of a person's mindset when you're dealing with a domestic situation," McKneely said. "We're very cautious and mindful when we go to those types of incidents."

Nicholson Drive was closed off between the LSU Natatorium and W. Roosevelt Street as more than a dozen police units responded to the incident. A SWAT team was also called to the scene.

Eames was booked on three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer and illegal use of a weapon.

The officer hit was identified as Sergeant Ralph Walker, a 22-year veteran.

The incident remains under investigation.

Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome released the following statement late Monday night:

"Tonight, a Baton Rouge Police Officer was shot in the line of duty while responding to a domestic incident on Geranium Street off Nicholson Drive. I’ve gone to the hospital where the officer was taken and met with him and his family. Please keep them in prayer as he begins his journey of recovery. The scene where he was shot is now secure and a suspect has been detained."