Sandy MaloneMidland, TX – A Midland police officer was fatally shot in the early hours of Tuesday morning after he and other officers responded to a burglar alarm at a Midland home.
Early tweets that have since been erased said that officer had been killed while responding to a home alarm.
Multiple media outlets have since reported they obtained an internal police department email that said the officer, his probationary police officer, and two additional officers responded to the burglar alarm together in the early hours of March 5, according to KOSA.
The email said the fallen officer loudly announced law enforcement’s presence at the front door, but the homeowner believed his home was being broken into and opened fire.
The homeowner shot toward the flashlight the officer was holding, and the officer was struck above his ballistic vest, according to KOSA.
City of Midland spokesperson Tony Castaneda confirmed to KOSA that the officer had died, but released no other information.
The Midland Police Department has yet to release a statement on the shooting, but is expected to hold a press conference later in the morning.
Despite officers’ best efforts to treat their wounded colleague at the scene and transport him to the hospital quickly, he died in the emergency room, according to KOSA.
The name of the officer who was killed has not been released, according to KWES.
The Sweetwater Fire Department and Ambulance Service posted a message on their official Facebook page at 8 a.m. asking for “public assistance in honoring him as he is taken to Tarrant County for an autopsy.”
The post said that the police motorcade transporting the fallen officer’s body would be passing through Sweetwater between 12:15 p.m. and 12:30 p.m.
“The Sweetwater Fire Department is planning on being on the Arizona bridge to honor him as they pass,” the post read.
The post asked readers to spread the word to people who would want to honor the fallen officer.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, this would be the first line of duty death for the Midland PD since Nov. 28, 1961, when Midland Police Lieutenant Gordon Smith, Jr. was fatally shot while chasing a sexual assault and murder suspect.
“Please keep the family and MPD family in your prayers,” Midland Mayor Jerry Morales posted on Facebook this morning, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
The mayor asked residents of the community to lower their flags for “our fallen officer, family member, friend and servant to our community.”
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