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Alabama police officer killed in drug-related shooting

HUNTSVILLE,
Ala. (AP) — An Alabama police officer was killed Friday during a
drug-related shooting, authorities said, making him the sixth law
enforcement officer in the state slain in the line of duty this year.

The
officer died at a hospital after being shot in the heart, Huntsville
Police Chief Mark McMurray said during a news conference Friday evening.
Authorities did not release the name of the slain officer, but said he
was a 20-year veteran of the department.

Police said the suspect was captured after a short foot chase.

“The Huntsville Police Department has suffered a tremendous loss,” McMurray said.

McMurray
said the shooting occurred during a task force operation after
investigators learned of a large amount of drugs being delivered. He
said the suspect “drew a gun and immediately fired on the officer.”

The
officer was wearing a bulletproof vest, but the bullet still managed to
strike the officer in the heart, the police chief said. He said the
officer’s name would be released Saturday.

Lt. Michael Johnson, a
spokesman for the department, said the shooting is a stark reminder of
the danger faced by police officers.

Six Alabama law enforcement
officers have been killed in the line of duty in 2019, according to
numbers released by the Alabama attorney general’s office following last
month’s fatal shooting of Lowndes County Sheriff John Williams.

“I
am grieved to hear of the Huntsville Police Officer killed in the line
of duty and extend my deepest sympathies and prayers to his family for
their unimaginable loss. It has been an exceptionally tough year for our
law enforcement community, and this will be felt across our state,”
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement.

Although the officer
was not publicly named, U.S. Attorney Jay Town said the officer was
known for his dedication and professionalism.

“We must now direct
our prayers to his grieving family and pull together in full support of
the Huntsville Police Department and law enforcement everywhere who lost
another brother of the badge tonight. I am beyond grief.”