CHP Officer Shows Signs of Improvement
Four weeks after being shot by an ex-convict after a traffic stop, CHP Officer Rafael “Ralph” Casillas showed slight improvements on Wednesday in the intensive care unit at the Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center.
Casillas, who was shot below his bulletproof vest, is suffering from extensive internal injuries and still is listed in critical condition.
But CHP Officer Larry Albrecht, who works with Casillas in the Newhall station, said Casillas is showing minor improvements.
“He’s taking a step in the right direction,” Albrecht said, adding that Casillas’ lungs are clearing and his white blood count dropping. “We’re all still optimistic.”
Casillas was shot by ex-con Terry James Parker, who led police off the freeway to his Granada Hills home. Parker ran inside and then emerged shooting when Casillas and his partner approached.
Parker then fled into the neighborhood, shot himself and then was killed by pursuing officers.
A recently completed autopsy revealed that Parker had cocaine in his system at the time of the early morning shooting on July 24.
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