ALAMO - The search continues for a man accused of running over a Mission police officer.

Police say Jose Cruz Lopez Jr. is the man accused of the incident.  

The officer is out of the hospital nursing a leg and shoulder injury.

Rio Grande Valley officers take extra precautions when conducting a traffic stop.

"Oh okay right here, I'm going to go ahead and conduct a traffic stop. The driver of this vehicle failed to signal as he was turning right,” says Alamo Patrol Sergeant Jaime Garza.

Police officers say every traffic stop is different. 

"You actually don't know what you're going to come across,” says Garza.

Police officers go through calm situations but also go through aggressive stops.   

"On a pursuit, I had to exit my vehicle. I ran after the suspect when I took him down, my knee hit the pavement shattered pretty much everything,” says Garza.

Garza showed Channel 5 News what to look out for before, during and after a traffic stop.

"If the vehicle has not been in park and has not been put in place into park, we will look at that. So that's kind of an indicator that they might be taking off,” says Garza. 

Garza has worked in law enforcement for 21 years.

He says many officers get injured during these stops.

He says their first priority is the public and even the people who they stop. 

"I just wish people understood that we are here to help them and we're here to help everyone that’s our job,” says Garza. 

He hopes the Mission officer who was injured makes a full recovery.

If you have any information on Jose Cruz Lopez Jr., call Mission police at 956-585-5000.