A simple gas station stop, that's how it usually begins. But on February 11th, 2022, for one New Mexico State Trooper, it became a fight for his life. From a 100-mph chase to a bullet in the neck, this is a story of incredible survival and a suspect who had nothing left to lose. Before we break down this intense footage, guys, please help me reach my goal of 1,000 subscribers. Your support helps me bring these stories of bravery to life. You're watching Body Cam Pulse. Let's dive in. Trooper Jeremy Vaughn was fueling up in Edgewood when a store clerk flagged him down. A woman had been in the bathroom for a suspicious amount of time, potentially using drugs. When Jeremy approached the gray Cadillac, the driver, Caleb Eledge, also known as Creeper, didn't wait for questions. He rammed the patrol car and floored it, sparking a chase that would push both vehicles to their limits. Okay. She's in the Cadillac? Yeah. Okay. Was she in the Cadillac then? Yeah. Okay. Is there anybody else with her? Uh there's a man in the car. In the driver's seat? Okay. Thank you. How you doing? You have an East Mountain unit? Negative. Going to be out with a gray Cadillac. The tenant over here at the gas station advised they're smoking drugs in the bathroom now, sitting in the car. Can you also contact Edgewood and have them roll me a unit? I can have them come. Thank you. What's that? Shots fired. 10-01 suspect Tommy's attempting to flee, ran my car. 10-4 assault 10-4 I'm going to send him another unit if there's any unit vehicle there to help him. 10-4 there. I'm 25. Can you head out to 5120? That's from a unit there since we have them. Mark 246, I'll have you head that way. 10-01, he is He is out by Pizza Barn. He is headed eastbound on the frontage road. Significant damage to my vehicle. Also be advised I don't have a siren, so I'm going to be lights only. It's going to be a silver Cadillac, female passenger, male driver, dark tinted windows. He is coming out eastbound 333 now. If you have aircraft, that would be beneficial. Just past the interchange with Unity. He's passing Tractor Supply. 10-01, incoming traffic is light, eastbound about 80 miles an hour. And no construction in the area. Initial call was the drug use in the bathroom. He rammed my vehicle immediately upon contact attempting to flee. Traffic is light. 40-year-old is now wanted by the police and he's being uncooperative. Wrong side of the roadway. Back in his lane. Confirm the vehicle is valid. Eastbound triple three headed for Laurel Canyon. Eastbound triple three headed for Laurel Canyon. 501 just confirmed your direction. However, you are going eastbound, correct? I apologize. I am westbound. I am westbound now. Sorry about that. Coming up on Laurel Canyon. Westbound Laurel Canyon, you're good. The 40-year-old is driving pretty carefully. He is above the speed limit about 70 to 80 miles an hour, but he is driving pretty carefully. Confirm 40-year-old is driving carefully. The 40-year-old is driving Carefully. Also, be advised I've got my siren back. 10-4. Speed is 100 something miles an hour. Traffic is still light. Maneuvering to Laurel Canyon. Vehicle is down. Vehicle down to Laurel Canyon. GO. >> HE'S GOING WEST FAST. DO YOU SEE THE DRIVER IN THE PASSENGER seat now? Send code shots fired. I'm down. Send code I'm hit. Bleeding. Subjects are fleeing west. Female and a male. Severe 55. 10-4 755 111 diversion 10-32. 10-4 10-61 put me on the 711 351 gunfire 49. We got gunfire on the overpass at Sedillo Hill. 501 do you have weapon description? Negative, but I'm hit. 211 55. 10-4. The pursuit was chaotic. Creeper was driving like a madman, hitting speeds of 103 miles per hour and driving on the wrong side of the road. Finally, on the Sedillo Hill overpass, Trooper Vaughn saw his opening. He executed a perfect PIT maneuver, spinning the Cadillac into the guardrail, but the danger was only just beginning. As soon as the car stopped, Caleb opened fire. One bullet struck the trooper in the neck, passing through his shoulder and lodging near his scapula. Despite the searing pain and difficulty breathing, Trooper Vaughn stayed in the fight, returning fire as the suspects fled on foot. This wasn't just training anymore. It was pure survival instinct. Police 10-4. >> 436 in car. 506 436 in car. You're out to 501 20 from the outset. 146 in car. Yeah, I'll make 2505 units to see if you can't get them out there. Okay. K91 CentraCom Let's try to make contact with 501. Make sure his status until we get people on scene. Also, if you haven't done so, notify the captain of kind of police. 10-4 501, are you 10-4? 501, I think I'm okay. I'm bleeding. Shot through the shoulder, possibly the chest. Subjects are fleeing westbound. I have a little bit of trouble breathing. 10-4. Okay, 91 also I notified in case you find anything in that area. Can you give me a description of anything else around or what they were wearing at all? 501, I'm just going to sit tight. I'm not going to go to pursue. I'll be easy. Ooh. CentraCom 501 just assuming you're on 20 at Sevierville and Knoxville. That's affirmative. Uh Sevierville Hill overpass over I-40. It's right next to the Sevierville Hill truck stop. Okay, 91 CentraCom I'm sure you have that. I'll also push it out to APD East Area command as well. 10-4. AJ917, you there? What do you need in there? Did he hit you, man? Yeah. Okay, cool. All right. Hold my hand. Sit down. Hold my hand. What do you see? Any injuries? Yes. Okay. Right on the neck. Is it bleeding a lot or just a little? bleeding. Give me a screen shot, guys. He's been shot. He's been shot, right here. Give me a med kit. Okay, where is it at? It's red bag in the car. All right, man. He's hit right in the neck, right here, all right? Give me some pressure on it, okay? All Give me some This side? Open this strap off of him. What is in there? You see it? He's not bleeding out anymore. It already stopped. How do I get this vest off and just understand? Hold on, hold on. The Velcro's like this on the other side. Pull it up very careful cuz it hurts. >> 501, I'm here. Give me that radio. Can I help with anything? I saw a Just watch traffic for us. >> Stop them from coming through. Make them go that way. 501, I've got some help here. No, he's here right here. Bullet hole right here. He's got a bullet hole right here, guys. He's got a bullet hole. I don't know if it came out the back, but it came >> like it hit my scapula, brother. Yeah, it's right here. I just got trauma shears. Shears Shears and cutters. Feels like it hit my scapula in the back, and that hurts. Yeah, it's right here. All right, give me a Give me a gauze and also a a Vaseline gauze, too. Gauze bandage. >> help you with something? He's right up that way, guys. Still We're doing well, right? A male and a male. I don't know if he's Are you having any difficulty breathing right now? What's your name? Jeremy. Jeremy, you having any problems breathing? A little bit. It's just that scapula really hurts, guys. It hurts in the back? Yeah, let's get the gurney. I think the bullet hit the scapula in the back. I just want to make sure this guy ain't shooting. Still. Yeah. Where are you all from? Okay, I'm going to get some more units over here. Can we get out of there through there, or do we have to go down? Yeah. No, chest chest chest pain on this side, guys. Okay. I can't tell you if the difficulty breathing is just stress or or anything. Okay. Thank you guys for coming so fast. Hey, Sarge. I'm not getting a radio. We need more units over here now. State police just got shot. Suspects are on the loose. They're somewhere between Sedillo Hill and Edgewood. Give me that radio, guys. Just real quick. I'm going to tell them what they need to know. It's right there. 501 Vehicle is here with me. The subjects are on foot. They are eastbound from this location and I'm going to go with the ambulance now. We just started searching. We need to start searching between Sedillo Hill and Edgewood right now. It's a male and female. They just passed our state police. They're somewhere between Sedillo Hill and Edgewood. It looks like they're walking back towards Edgewood right now. You all right? They were coming from Edgewood. Yeah. We chased them from Edgewood. Okay. He said they didn't really see them. Male and female, but they're on foot. Yes, they are on foot. What's up, Dylan? >> Hey, how's it going, man? Fudge, man. >> Yeah. Not the best morning. It didn't hit the scapula. Yeah. Okay, we'll I don't think he's as upset here. It's just the one shot, right? I don't know, buddy. Okay. You want to take stuff off and find out I'm happy to rock and roll with you. Okay. Did you see an exit there? No, there's no exit. We just got his phone right here. Okay. Any difficulty breathing? Little bit of difficulty. I couldn't tell you if it's stress or worse. All right, no problem. Thank you guys for coming. Yeah, of course. My wife is going to be pissed. They always get mad at Fudge. Did you ever get some shots off on this [ __ ] Hope so. The video will be interesting. >> Good. I'll tell you what. He ain't going to get away with it. I'm grateful for some training, man. Yeah. Only has male and female. Female's in gray leggings. They were headed back towards Edgewood from Sedillo Hill. They went inside the fence and kind of ducked into the trees. Okay. I I mean, I witnessed the whole thing, you know, I mean, that Yeah. Yes, sir. Thank Thank you. Can I have you stand by, okay? State police will be here with you. That's me right there. That's you? And he flew I mean, they flew by us, dude. They were They were running for their life, man. Police department, anybody outside, make yourselves known. POLICE DEPARTMENT, ANYBODY OUTSIDE, make yourselves known now. It's dark. It looks empty. Yeah, I just can't check this corner here. Mando. Mando. Come in. Come in. Coming through. Um when did the subjects run, did you see any type of clothing, any colors, You know what, man? anything that you can remember? Was he holding a weapon? I know it's hard to remember all this stuff, but I I was so focused I'm not even lying, bro. I saw that they hit him and I was focused on him. I was like 1.60 ft from what was going down. OKAY, BUT YOU DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING? I'M positive it was two people exited that vehicle, but you can't see what they look like. >> Nope. I can one one positive male. The other one all I saw off of that was something red getting thrown in the air and someone stumbling through the snow. Okay. Do you think you could identify the male suspect from a photo lineup? Not to stand up in a court of law. Okay, so it'd be like like on a scale of 1 to 10. I'm on a fire possible three. Okay. I could see them. I could see both of them. But I did recall he had his pistol out. He was carrying his pistol with him. She I did not recall her carrying a pistol. I didn't see anything in her hand, but he definitely had one. It was you know a good size handgun. Any like descriptions as far as their height, weight? Were they they look thin? Average. I mean you know just from the distance and and my I was asked that earlier and I was still thinking you know he probably wasn't exceptionally tall or small or short. So I'm guessing he may have been 5'10. Uh she probably a little bit shorter. Well, I know she was shorter. And then they just kind of ducked down into the trees. I don't know if they went directly north or they could have kept going east you know just in the tree line. Okay. He was kind of waiting on her. She was uh you know falling behind him cuz she got out second and she kind of what he kind of waited on her to catch up a little bit, you know, the whole time with his gun out. You know he had it in his hand. Okay. So he's got unless he ditched it somewhere he's got it with him. What happened next was a rare moment of humanity. Civilians rushed to the bleeding trooper applying pressure to his neck wound until medics arrived. Meanwhile, the manhunt was on. The next day police tracked Creeper and his girlfriend to a home in McIntosh. After a standoff involving gas, the man who shot a trooper was finally in handcuffs. The suspect is rude. The suspect is rude? He's on the ground. According to the Albuquerque Journal, two of the suspects associates seen leaving the residence were arrested. One had a stolen handgun and the other fled to Albuquerque in a stolen Ford F-250, where he crashed into two vehicles. He was arrested with a gun and methamphetamines in his possession. Alana was taken into custody as well as her boyfriend. Hey bro, what's your name? Caleb Dustin Elling. Huh? Caleb Dustin Look at me real quick, bro. I'm just cuz you got blood and all that. I'm just going to kind of make sure I uh document it, okay? Look at me real quick. Oh. All right, bro. You good? Oh. Face burning? Are you cold? I'm cold. >> Okay. Just hang tight, all right, bro? Yeah, let me get a photo of you. >> go. Right here. Look at you. Caleb Dustin Elling, also known by his alias Creeper, has an extensive case history beginning in 2016. In 2020, Elling pled no contest to interference with communications in exchange for dropping one count of assault of a household member. In 2020, Caleb was sentenced to a year in Bernalillo County and 5 years of probation after pleading guilty to shooting from a stolen SUV as he fled from police officers. According to his probation officer, Elling had been on probation for 9 months and had already absconded three times and violated multiple conditions of his supervision. At the time of the shooting, Caleb had been on the run for 9 months after he cut his ankle monitor and absconded. A bench warrant was issued, but Caleb was never found and brought in for questioning until now. We we appreciate you know you talk talking to us, but you have rights you have something I'm going to let you know. I want you to know cuz you have rights and I want you to be aware, okay? So, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand what I have told you? Yeah. Having these rights in mind, do you want to talk to us now? Yeah. All right. Obviously, you know, you know why why we're here. Uh there's an incident that occurred Yeah. uh yesterday, actually. Uh I'll tell you guys I was being to you guys from from the very beginning. Yes, sir. I'll to honest. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. My girlfriend me me and her we were kind of just I mean arguing or whatever. She went in the gas station and she said she was doing drugs and she went in there and she was crying in the bathroom or whatever. Where was your girlfriend just to clarify? I don't know. We're sitting in the parking lot and I'm doing scratches and stuff. But we were there for like 45 minutes or whatever. You know what I mean? We didn't know when to call the cops. You know what I mean? But that that officer came up violently violently right away, dude. He just just start banging on the driver the door handle. Get the [ __ ] out of the car. He's like get the [ __ ] out of the car. Hey hey he's saying you know what I mean? I backed up. I took off and he freaked me out. I said like woah I'm on the I'm on the run. You know what I mean? He just freaked me out though. You know what I'm saying? So I fled. I backed up in his car. I fled. He chased me and [ __ ] just like you know what I'm saying? He start kicking the rabbit he hit me trying to make me wreck. You know what I'm saying? He the thing hurt me. You know what I'm saying? He is driving pretty carefully. He is above the speed limit. And so finally I had I took a right. I turned he pushed me up against the bridge. You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? I was trying to go to jail. You know what I'm saying? When I turned the You know what I'm saying? But like at the same time I wasn't trying to hurt nobody. He is on the vehicle. You know what I'm saying? Like he just officer is violent, dude. You know what I'm saying? Like he was he was I I do I do was violent as [ __ ] You know what I'm saying? Right then I just I mean I told him to sit back and he start shooting. You know what I'm saying? I didn't even aim. I didn't even aim. I just stopped. You know what I'm saying? And then I was trying to get a baby hit the floor or something to run and get away from me. Get away or You know what I'm saying? I just I don't know. I I don't know, dude. I wasn't trying to hurt the dude. You know And I know he was trying to hurt us though. And where did you get this gun at? I bought it off a friend, man. I don't I mean I won't say too much on that one. You know what I'm saying? But I got it in the streets. You know Okay. And where is that gun now? I don't know where it went. I last I gave it to somebody. You know what I mean? You know what I mean? I don't know where it went. Can you tell us who was that somebody? I can't do that. I mean, cuz that gets me in trouble, you know? Like where were you at when you handed over that gun? Where they got me in this morning? Okay. At that residence? >> Yeah. Okay. So, where did did you look at the officer at any point? >> No. Uh-uh. Open my door, there was the guardrail. And then there was the just the small hill, and I ran into the field and then we down that way down some little hill onto the freeway. You know what I mean? I just as soon as it was done, I just I opened my door and I went that way. You know what I mean? I didn't even look try to look cuz it was the I was You know what I I just I just I remember running away knowing I made a mistake, you know? So, how how did that happen there? What What were you trying to do at that point? When when you got to the freeway? >> First I was trying to flag you down to get a ride, you know? They didn't. And then I just I I honestly didn't know. I hid somewhere. You know, I I wasn't I wasn't going to run and see where about I hid somewhere. I waited it out so I could move around, you know? So, so you hid somewhere around that same area? Yeah. >> incident happened? And how did you get from from there there to where you were arrested? Well, later on I was walking and another homeboy was walking. I used I used his phone. I called him. Somebody I knew, you know? Okay. So, somebody picked you up? Yeah. And they took you To the residence where I got picked up. So, from there you went directly to the residence? And and who who was that? I mean obviously with the investigations the name is probably going to come up at some point. I just want to see if, you know, if you could uh help us out. Who Who was that person that took you to that residence? >> I I I I can't say that. So, I'll I'll I'll just talk a little bit about uh about your uh your girlfriend. So, you said she was um in in in the passenger seat when all this thing happened. Yeah, she told me to stop. Maybe just stop. Maybe stop. Stop. Stop. She's She's She's innocent in all that we did. This girl, she's she's she's She's innocent. So, when the cops came over this morning, did you comply and come out and give up or what happened? I was sleeping when they came over. You mean if I would have realized that there there was the cops there They were [ __ ] They had already threw the [ __ ] I mean, I heard them bust out the windows. They threw those [ __ ] things there and then I mean, I I couldn't breathe. The house was really bad. Gas in there and stuff, maybe? Okay. Yeah, the gas had me It was bad and then Who else was in there? Just you and >> Just me and Alana. Alana, right? I mean, I I mean, I I had to feel You mean, I couldn't see. I couldn't breathe. I was passed out. But, I felt blown and I found the back door. I opened the back door and I hit the floor. Boom. I came out and I was like, "All right." And then I was like, "What?" But, you knew it was the cops. >> Yeah, I knew it was. Yeah, you mean? Yeah. You don't think she was using drugs in that bathroom? No, I I know she wasn't cuz I had all the drugs. You mean? Okay. What What do you use? Blues or what do you use? >> Fentanyl. Yeah. Blues. What about her? Same? Yeah. Yeah. How bad of a habit you guys got? Bad. Bad. I mean, I I I know you wanted to, you know, maybe protect these people, but we we we did talk to some people and and and we found out who gave you the ride. Uh and I mean, we found out it was a a Layla. Layla and and and that Layla is Caleb's aunt who owns the property where Caleb was arrested. So, we found that out from from different information we had and and I know you told me like if we were able to find that out, you might be able to confirm that with for us. I'm going to I'm talking to you right now. No. I'm talking to you right now is it was in there. And I mean so so something that that that we really uh need especially so we're not digging up in you know anybody's business is that gun. And and I know you don't want to give anybody away. So all we would need is that gun. Like we don't want to go out and you know like have to look uh into that gun and then we find out some other stuff. You know people that you let gun to are doing all that. We we don't care about that. We just want to get you know that gun for probably for this investigation. >> Yeah, I don't I don't know where it's at right now at all. Okay. So that's I mean that's uh because I mean same thing that we have information that that Layla has that gun. And I mean we we know she's maybe involved in some stuff. We don't want to care about that. We just care about the gun and we don't want to get her mixed up and you know I don't know she got that gun. And uh well let me say let me say is is a man has the gun and he's not the Her boyfriend was he is a man who had the gun and she hasn't done anything with it. Okay. So you you know we're going to have to go out there and you know try to you know like investigate different people that might have it. And we don't want to mess those guys if they have nothing to do with it. That's why I mean I want to give you this opportunity if you know where it is. So we don't mix up other people. That's what it is. Cuz I know you really probably like uh your your your your auntie, right? You want to protect her. So if if you know who you give it to so we don't have to mess with with that. The gun's in that house somewhere. Well, that was just that. Okay. I don't remember where I am. And then I I I I remember waking up I remember waking up and it was it was it wasn't right it wasn't right next to me anymore where I where I put it. I mean it it was it was it was gone. But it's it's in the it's in the house somewhere. >> So where where did you last saw it at? I was in there in the sleep on the recliner. In the living room? In interrogation, Caleb claimed he didn't even aim. He just wanted to escape because he had been on the run for 9 months. The court didn't buy the accidental defense. Caleb received a 9-year federal sentence, but Christmas 2024 brought a surprise. New Mexico reopened the original state charges. He could be looking at decades more behind bars. Trooper Vaughn made a full recovery, proving that even a shot to the neck couldn't break his spirit. If you found this breakdown powerful, please subscribe to help us hit that 1K goal. Let me know in the comments, should Caleb get life in prison for this? Thanks for watching Bodycam Pulse. Stay safe.