Arkansas State Police are investigating the case of a police officer who shot a man during an attack

A Guatemalan man was injured after authorities say he resisted arrest and attacked a police officer during a traffic stop on Interstate 49 on Saturday. According to Arkansas State Police, at about 7:43 p.m., a police officer stopped a suspect on southbound I-49 after he was traveling at a high rate of speed in heavy traffic near the 80 mile marker. The driver, Angel Zapet-Alvarado, 26, refused to get out of the vehicle and resisted the officer’s attempts to pull him out. When he refused, the officer deployed her Taser. Zapet-Alvarado ripped the Taser from the officer’s hands and threw it into traffic on the interstate. A 31-year-old motorist who witnessed the altercation stopped her vehicle and attempted to assist the officer. The officer fired one shot at Zapet-Alvarado with her service weapon, wounding him in the right temple. According to ASP, Zapet-Alvarado is an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and ASP Colonel Mike Hagar released a statement Sunday after the incident: “These two women who put their lives on the line to keep their communities safe are heroes, and thanks to their quick, courageous actions, a criminal illegal immigrant is in custody and off the streets. Even though they deny it and the media covers it up, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris created the worst border crisis in history and must be held accountable,” Governor Sanders said. Colonel Mike Hagar said, “I pray every day for the safety of our police officers who sacrifice their own safety for our innocent civilians. I thank God today for keeping our officer alive and providing an incredibly brave civilian to stand by her during this time of need. I feel the same fear and frustration when someone attacks one of our officers, but it is even more disturbing that this suspect is an undocumented illegal immigrant from Guatemala. This shows another level of lawlessness that will not be tolerated in our state.” According to ASP, Zapet-Alvarado was taken to Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas where he was treated and turned over to law enforcement. He was taken to the Benton County Sheriff’s Detention Center, charged with second-degree assault, and taken into custody for the Department of Homeland Security investigation. Additional charges are pending. The officer was treated for non-life-threatening injuries she sustained when Zapet-Alvarado attacked her. ASP’s Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the incident. An investigative file will be submitted to the District Attorney, who will determine if the use of deadly force was consistent with Arkansas law.