A Tacoma, Wash. police officer died late Wednesday after being shot several times while responding to a domestic violence call, officials said.
The male officer, who has not been identified, was shot by a suspect believed to be barricaded inside a home on Tacoma’s east side with a gun.
The officer was pronounced dead at 9:13 p.m. local time after undergoing emergency surgery at Tacoma General Hospital.
“We’ve suffered a great loss and I think the community has suffered a great loss,” police spokesman Loretta Cool said. “I don’t know how to put that into words.”
Cool said the incident began at around 4 p.m. when two officers responded to the home after a report of a verbal dispute. She said the officers called for backup “a very short time later” and shots were fired almost immediately after reinforcements arrived.
Though authorities believe the suspect is still inside the home, Cool said it’s possible the suspect could have left the area while police were removing the wounded officer from the scene.
The neighborhood was locked down while law enforcement worked to arrest the suspect. Motorists were told to avoid the area and neighborhood residents were told to remain indoors.
The Tacoma News Tribune reported that several people inside the home were able to get out following the initial shooting, but it was unclear whether anyone else remained inside.
