TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An Yilan County police officer successfully arrested a traffic offender, who turned out to be a drug dealer, after being shot in the chest Monday night (Aug. 2).

Toucheng Police Station officer Tsai Min-ting (蔡旻庭), 29, was patrolling the streets of the northeastern township on his scooter at 11:50 p.m. Monday night when he saw a scooter swerving, alternately speeding up and slowing down, and making an illegal right turn without signaling at an intersection, CNA reported. Tsai pulled close to the scooter in an attempt to pull the rider over.

The rider, a 57-year-old man surnamed Lu (呂), immediately sped away in an attempt to escape Tsai, according to the report. When Lu realized he would be unable to get away, he stopped and pretended to cooperate with the officer.

Lu then took a handgun from the compartment under his seat and shot Tsai in the chest. Despite his wound, Tsai struggled with the suspect and was able to hold him down and arrest him. He then called for backup.

Once reinforcements and EMTs arrived, Tsai was rushed to National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital.

In addition to the firearm, police found that Lu also possessed 10 bullets and 22 packs of amphetamines weighing 13.9 grams in total.

Tsai Chien-ho ( 蔡建和 ), director of the department of surgery at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital, said that the officer was able to speak when he arrived at the hospital, but he was gasping for air due to a gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet had broken one of his ribs, passed through his left lung, barely missing his heart, and lodged in his left armpit, according to the doctor.

The officer immediately underwent surgery, which took two hours and required part of his lung to be removed. He is in stable condition, per CNA.