Officer Saved by Vest Kills Gunman in Brawl

A police officer who was shot three times after a routine traffic stop was saved by his bulletproof vest, officials said Thursday. He returned fire and killed his assailant.

The unidentified officer pulled over a suspected drunk driver shortly after midnight. When a computer check showed that the driver had a $5,000 warrant for traffic offenses, the officer ordered the driver out of his car.

In a brawl that sent both tumbling down a hill, the driver fired several times, hitting the officer three times, but no bullets penetrated the vest, officials said.