Officer shot, wounded in ‘hail of gunfire’ in northeast El Paso; suspected gunman jailed

EL PASO, Texas -- An El Paso police officer was shot and wounded early Monday morning in what authorities described as a "hail of gunfire" after he responded to a call in the northeast section of the city.

Police said the gunfire happened about 1 a.m. at 8951 Comet Street, which is in the Canyon Middle School area.

The department said several officers went to that home after a woman called 911 and asked for help before abruptly hanging up.

"Responding officers were met with a hail of gunfire through the front door of the residence as they attempted to make contact," said Det. Diane Mack.

She indicated police were retreating when an officer who'd only been on the force for a year was struck in the leg; officers did not return gunfire.

Mack said the accused gunman, 29–year old Alexander Eugene Jeffery, eventually stopped shooting and surrendered to police a short time later.

He was being held Monday afternoon in the downtown jail on $125,000 bond on multiple charges of aggravated assault, one of those counts involving use of a deadly weapon.

The wounded officer, who also suffered injuries to an ear and forearm, underwent surgery at University Medical Center and was recovering.

That shooting happened in the same area where a man was found with a gunshot wound last week, but there was no apparent connection to the two shootings.