NEW ORLEANS -- Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy Steve Arnold is fighting for his life, surrounded by family and friends, after being shot five times early Tuesday morning.
Arnold is out of the operating room, and doctors have stabilized him, but officials say he remains in critical, but stable, condition.
The shooting that injured Arnold happened in New Orleans Tuesday morning, as a task force of law enforcement officers fanned out across the city in part of a federal narcotics sweep. Deputy Arnold arrived at the intersection of Egania and Douglass Streets in the Lower Ninth Ward to serve an arrest warrant, around 6 a.m. Police say the 35-year-old deputy was first in the door when the drug suspect he went to arrest opened fire.
Sheriff Newell Normand said Arnold was shot five times, once in the neck, and the other four bullets striking him in the torso and arm.
"They operated on him for better than two hours," said Normand. "We, at this point are praying, praying, praying that neurologically, there's no impairment."
Sources tell WWL-TV that Arnold stopped breathing and his fellow task force members administered CPR until paramedics arrived. He is a 12-year veteran of the JPSO, and joined the federal task force about a year ago.
Sheriff Normand expressed frustration with the drug trade responsible for much of the street violence putting his deputies and the public at risk.
"These men and women are out there, risking their lives, day in and day out, and for what?" he asked.
Authorities identified the shooting suspect as 26-year-old Jarvis Hardy. He was arrested and booked with attempted first-degree murder and narcotics charges. Two other people in the home at the time of the shooting were also detained by police.
Neighbors said they were shocked by this morning's shooting.
"I've been back here 55 years and ain't never seen nothing this bad," said Charles Jacobs, who lives in the Holy Cross neighborhood. "Law enforcement getting shot, it's really getting out of hand."
