A Tennessee police officer was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Memphis on Saturday and a manhunt is underway for the suspect, officials said.
Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong said during a news conference that police received a call about 9:15 p.m. about an officer being shot. He said the officer was conducting a traffic stop when he was shot multiple times. The officer died at a hospital.
Memphis Police identified the officer as 33-year-old Sean Bolton in a statement Sunday morning. No further details were released.
Armstrong said police have not made an arrest and the suspect is still on the run. He said police are using all available resources to find the shooter.
It’s the third time a Memphis officer has been shot and killed in slightly more than four years. Officer Tim Warrne was killed while responding to a shooting at a downtown Memphis hotel in July 2011. In December 2012, officer Martoiya Lang was killed while serving a warrant.
Armstrong said officers are grieving, adding that “this is just a reminder of how dangerous this job is.”
“Sadly to say, we’ve been here before,” he said.
Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton Jr. told reporters Saturday that the incident “speaks volumes about the inherent danger of police work.”
“Pray for the family and pray for our city.”
