MEMPHIS, Tenn. – An illegal immigrant is facing charges in connection with a shooting that critically injured a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper.
Oscar Castillo-Flores, 29, was arrested Thursday evening and charged with attempted murder and especially aggravated kidnapping in connection with the Feb. 2 shooting of THP Trooper Michael McCade.
According to a press release from the THP, around 11 p.m. on Feb. 2, McCade stopped a vehicle on I-40 East in Jackson, Tennessee, after observing it commit a traffic violation. The driver, later identified as Castillo-Flores, failed to yield and attempted to flee the scene, leading to a pursuit that ended when McCade’s patrol car crashed on the highway.
Castillo-Flores got out of the vehicle and opened fire on McCade, shooting him multiple times, authorities said. McCade was able to return fire and strike Castillo-Flores, who was injured and taken into custody.
Mcade was flown to a Nashville hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery and was listed in critical condition.
During an interview with investigators, Castillo-Flores claimed he had been shot during a drug-related robbery earlier that night and had been seeking help from McCade when the incident occurred.
Authorities said Castillo-Flores’ claims were deemed inconsistent and unrelated to the incident.
Castillo-Flores, who has a prior DUI conviction and a history of using false identities, is being held without bond. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has placed a detainer on him, seeking to take custody once he is released from criminal custody.
McCade, who has been a trooper with the THP for nearly seven years, continues to recover from his injuries and is expected to face a lengthy recovery process.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, with authorities seeking anyone with information on the incident to come forward.