An OPD gang unit officer is recovering at the hospital Tuesday evening after a traffic stop turned violent.
42-year-old Officer Kenneth Fortune was shot in the shoulder while conducting a traffic stop near 30th St. and Laurel Ave.Tuesday afternoon.
Fortune has been with the force for nearly 11 years.
During that time, Fortune has been active with the Police Athletics for Community Engagement (P.A.C.E.) since it began in 2009, coaching kids in sports like baseball, football and soccer during the summer.
In 2016, Fortune told 3 News Now why that role, in addition to being an officer, is so important to him personally. "I didn't sign up to teach them baseball. I signed up to teach them how to be good citizens, good neighbors, good kids, so when they grow up they have those fundamentals and that foundation," said Fortune.
Tuesday's incident is not Fortune's first high profile brush with danger. Last November, a suspected gang member fired gunshots at Fortune during an arrest. The mother of the young man arrested even wrote a thank you note on social media commending fortune for showing restraint for not firing back.
Fortune was reportedly in 'good spirits' at the hospital Tuesday evening and is expected to be okay.
