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HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Officials say a Montana Highway Patrol trooper is conscious and his condition is stable more than two weeks after being shot three times while investigating a fatal Missoula shooting.
Highway Patrol chief Col. Tom Butler said in a statement Tuesday he is grateful for Trooper Wade Palmer’s progress, but he is aware that Palmer has a long journey ahead of him.
Trooper Wade Palmer has regained consciousness; condition is stable following March 15th shooting near Evaro, Montana. https://t.co/TeIb2iKrGV#mtnews
— Montana Highway Patrol (@MTHwyPatrol) April 2, 2019
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The statement says the 35-year-old Palmer is not yet speaking, but he recognizes certain people and commands. He has been moved out of a critical care unit and is scheduled for reconstructive surgery on Thursday for injuries to his jaw.
Palmer was shot on March 15 while investigating a shooting that killed one person and wounded two others. He was first transported to St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula then later flown to University Hospital in Salt Lake City. Law enforcement officers from Montana and Utah kept a constant vigil at the hospital.
Twenty-eight-year-old Johnathan Bertsch has pleaded not guilty to charges of homicide and attempted homicide.
