A rookie Flagstaff, Arizona, police officer with less than one year on the job was shot and killed while checking on a domestic violence incident before the suspect turned the gun on himself, according to the Arizona Republic.
Officer Tyler Stewart, 24, was interviewing Robert William Smith, 28, in connection with an earlier domestic violence call about an incident between Smith and his girlfriend, Sgt. Margaret Bentzen, a Flagstaff police spokeswoman, told the Republic.
Officer Stewart was outside of his patrol car conducting the interview and asked Smith whether he could pat him down, Sgt. Bentzen said. Police said Smith then pulled out a gun and fired it several times at Officer Stewart, who never had a chance to return fire.
Sgt. Bentzen told the Republic that Officer Stewart fell to the ground, but Smith continued firing. He eventually walked away and fatally shot himself, police said.
Officer Stewart was taken to Flagstaff Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, the newspaper reported.
“This is an enormous tragedy for our department and the family of our officer,” Flagstaff Police Chief Kevin Treadway said in a statement, the Republic reported. “We are a very close-knit organization, and know that all members of the Flagstaff Police Department are grieving at this time. With that being said, all of the men and women of the Flagstaff Police Department extend our prayers and condolences to the family of our Officer Tyler Stewart.”
Smith was arrested in 2009 for involvement in a domestic violence incident, the paper reported.
• Jennifer Pompi can be reached at jpompi@washingtontimes.com.
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