Driver accused in traffic stop shooting of trooper captured

FINDLAY » A driver who struggled with a state trooper during a traffic stop, causing the trooper to be shot and seriously injured with his own gun, was captured Thursday after a resident spotted him, authorities said.

The shooting occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday on Interstate 75 near Findlay. The trooper, Josef Brobst, initially stopped Robert Tramaine Hathorn, 42, of Michigan, for speeding, but soon asked him to exit the vehicle because he smelled marijuana, authorities said.

The two men were standing behind the patrol cruiser when the struggle occurred, authorities said. It wasn’t immediately clear how the gun was fired or if Brobst had drawn the weapon or if it was still in his holster.

Hathorn drove off, and his car was found early Thursday behind a business. An intense manhunt soon ensued involving dozens of officers, and Hathorn was captured around 1:30 p.m. It wasn’t immediately known what charges he would be facing or if he had retained an attorney.

Brobst, who was shot in the lower body, was being treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Hathorn was taken to a hospital for an evaluation, and authorities have not said if he was injured.