Missouri Highway Patrol trooper shot in exchange of gunfire identified; suspect hospitalized

The Missouri Highway Patrol identified a trooper shot while responding to a call in Wright County.

The shooting happened Wednesday morning along a county road north of Mansfield.

Investigators say Robert D. Crewse, 49, was grazed by two shots in the head. Doctors released him from a Springfield hospital Wednesday afternoon. The trooper, another trooper and a Mansfield Police Department officer fired back at the gunman. He was shot multiple times. The suspect remains hospitalized in Springfield. His identity is unknown.

Sergeant Jeff Kinder of Troop G says the officer was investigating a suspicious call about a vehicle. He immediately called for backup. The tags on the car was registered to another vehicle. When he began to investigate, the Missouri Highway Patrol says that is when the exchange of gunfire happened.

The investigation is ongoing.