In a tragic turn of events on Sunday, four police officers were shot in separate incidents that don't appear to be related. One officer was killed in San Antonio, according to NPR, while the other three were injured St. Louis, Sanibel, Fla. and Gladstone, Mo. The officer from St. Louis remains in critical condition.
Detective Benjamin Marconi, 50, was shot in the head and killed while in his patrol car writing a ticket after traffic stop. Police are still searching for his killer, and have released photos of the suspect and his car on Facebook. The Sanibel police officer was also shot during a traffic stop, according to USA Today. The suspect in that case is in custody. The Gladstone officer was shot during a struggle after a traffic stop, and the suspect was later shot and killed, according to the Kansas City Star.
In the St. Louis officer's case, the Associated Press reports that he was shot twice in the face while sitting in his patrol car, when another car pulled up alongside him and shot through the window. Though he is in critical condition, the sergeant is expected to survive. The suspect, who was already wanted on multiple accounts by police, was later killed in a shootout with police.
NPR reports that San Antonio and St. Louis shootings were likely targed attacks on police, while the Sanibel and Gladstone shootings may not have been. The Officer Down Memorial Page reports that 127 police officers have died in the line of duty in 2016, with 58 of those deaths attributable to gunfire. Last year, the page reported 130 deaths, with 39 from gunfire.
