An off-duty North Carolina police officer was fatally shot while confronting crime suspects at a gas station Saturday, authorities said.
The veteran cop – who had served 22 years with the Greensboro Police Department – “witnessed a crime occurring” around 4 p.m. at the Sheetz location on Sandy Ridge Road in the city of Colfax when he jumped into action, Chief John Thompson told reporters.
“The officer approached the suspects and was subsequently shot,” Thompson said.
Police released an alert Saturday night saying they were searching for a black Chevrolet Equinox, but the alert was canceled hours later, according to WXII12.
There had been no official word if the suspects in the officer’s killing were in custody.
No additional information was released as of Sunday morning as police conducted an “active and ongoing homicide investigation.”
The officer, who was not immediately publicly identified “out of respect for the family,” was treated by another off-duty officer — who happened to be at the scene – in addition to a paramedic.
He was taken to a local medical facility, where he succumbed to his injuries.
“He was a loving husband, father, son and brother with 22 years of service to the department,” Thompson said. “We ask for prayers for the family of the fallen officer and our Greensboro PD family. He was a loving husband, father, son and brother with 22 years of service to the department.”
“We ask for prayers for the family of the fallen officer and our Greensboro PD family.”
In a statement, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper offered his condolences and support in tracking down the suspects.
“I spoke with Greensboro Police Chief Thompson earlier this evening offering all available state resources to catch those who killed a Greensboro police officer,” Cooper said. “Our prayers are with the Greensboro police and family and loved ones. Every effort must be made to apprehend those responsible and bring justice in this tragic situation.”
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan called the deadly shooting “one of the hardest things I’ve faced as mayor.”
“Words are inadequate right now,” Vaughan told reporters. “There’s really, nothing I can say that’s going to give the family or officers any comfort. What happened today is a senseless act of violence and we have to remember that.”
