Albuquerque, NM – Bodycam footage captured the moment that a gunman opened fire on an Albuquerque police officer during a foot pursuit in a Walmart parking lot (video below).

The incident occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, when police received a report of a shoplifter inside the Walmart store, KOAT reported.

Officer Brock Knippwrath and Officer Kyle Frederickson – who was still in training – responded to the scene, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

The officers approached the suspect, later identified as 23-year-old Charles Purvis, near the store’s automatic doors, but he refused to acknowledge their presence, and continued making his exit.

“Don’t do it,” one officer told the suspect, as the doors began to slide open, the video showed.

Officer Frederickson ordered Purvis to stop and reached out to grab him, but he took off sprinting out the doors and into the Walmart parking lot.

The officer followed close behind as Purvis raced past vehicles parked in the crowded lot, tossing his backpack aside along the way.

Approximately 30 seconds into the clip, with Officer Frederickson closing in, Purvis drew a handgun and fired at him, the video showed.

The officer stopped to draw his duty weapon.

Purvis continued shooting and widened the gap between himself and the officer.

“Get on the ground! Get on the ground! Do it now,” another officer yelled, as Purvis sprinted away across an empty portion of the lot.

None of the officers were injured, and none of them returned fire, Albuquerque Police Officer Simon Drobik told the Albuquerque Journal.

As the officers waited in an alley for backup, Officer Frederickson asked Officer Knippwrath if he would have been justified in returning fire during the chase, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

“It absolutely would have,” Officer Knippwrath replied, according to the news outlet. “Absolutely, he just tried to kill you.”

"We're damn lucky an officer didn't get killed tonight,” Officer Drobik commented during a press conference early Friday morning. “After looking at that video, I can tell you that."

Police quickly established a perimeter between Copper and Chico, and Conchas and Eubank, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

SWAT officers, K9 units and a helicopter also responded to search for Purvis, who was ultimately apprehended inside an abandoned residence approximately six hours after the shooting occurred, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

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Purvis has been charged with one count of aggravated assault, and two counts of assault with intent to commit a violent felony using a deadly weapon against a police officer.

He was well-known to the Walmart employees as being a frequent shoplifter.

Purvis’ criminal history included charges of receiving or transferring stolen motor vehicles, battery, and shoplifting, KOB reported.

You can see the bodycam video below: