A suburban St. Louis police officer was in critical condition late Friday after he was shot in the neck in what investigators described as an “ambush” following a traffic stop.

Ballwin Police Chief Kevin Scott said the unidentified officer was walking to his car after the initial conversation with the motorist he stopped for speeding Friday morning when that driver “advanced quickly” on him from behind, firing at least three shots.

The officer “had no chance at all” to pull his handgun and “was completely helpless,” Scott said, noting the encounter was recorded by the police car’s dashcam.

“Make no mistake: We believe during this investigation that Ballwin officer was ambushed, period,” St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said.

Scott said the officer was in critical but stable condition, and “fightning for his life” at a hospital in Creve Coeur, west of St. Louis.

After the shooting, Belmar said, the suspect sped away before an officer from another police department spotted the car about 4 miles away. The suspect abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot before being arrested about five minutes later, Belmar said.

Antonio Taylor, a 31-year-old black man who was paroled in 2015 after serving time on a federal weapons charge, was charged with assault of a police officer, armed criminal action and a felon in possession of a firearm, St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said Friday.

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Image courtesy of AP