An Arizona police officer was killed in the line of duty Sunday by a suspect he was seeking in a domestic violence case, the Associated Press reported.
Officer Tyler J. Stewart, 24, was shot several times by the male suspect he was pursuing on West Clay Avenue in Flagstaff at around 1:30 p.m., the Flagstaff Police Department told the AP.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Robert W. Smith, shot and killed himself at the scene, police said. Stewart was taken to Flagstaff Medical Center in critical condition but later died.
The nature of the domestic violence case was not specified. Stewart was an officer in the department for less than a year. He is the second ever Flagstaff cop to be killed in the line of duty, the AP reported.
"This is an enormous tragedy for our department and the family of our Officer," Chief Kevin Treadway said according to the news agency. "We are a very close-knit organization... With that being said, all of the men and women of the Flagstaff Police Department extend our prayers and condolences to the family of our Officer Tyler Stewart."
The incident is being investigated. Police do not believe Stewart discharged his weapon, Sergeant Margaret Bentzen told the AP.
The officer's death comes less than two weeks after two New York Police Department officers were killed by a man police said exhibited extreme sentiments against law enforcement.
