The Tacoma, Washington police officer was reportedly shot several times while responding to a domestic violence call. The incident prompted an hours long standoff.
USA TODAY NETWORK

TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma Police officer was shot and killed Wednesday after responding to a domestic violence call, authorities said.

A male suspect in the incident was shot and killed by police inside the home, police said early Thursday. Two children, 8 and 11, were inside the home and rescued after the suspect was killed. Both children were taken to the hospital for a wellness check, but police believe they were not harmed.

The officer was transported to Tacoma General Hospital for surgery after being shot several times in the incident in Tacoma’s Eastside neighborhood. His death was announced around 9 p.m. PT Wednesday.

Tacoma Police Chief Don Ramsdell expressed his condolences to the officer's family and gratitude to the Tacoma community for their support in a short prepared statement at a news conference.  He also announced that the 45-year-old officer, who was not identified publicly, joined the department in 1999.

The male shooting suspect barricaded himself inside a home with a rifle, authorities said.

Kristi Croskey said she was in the home to retrieve some items she had left there when the confrontation began. Croskey, who moved out of the home about seven months ago, said she knew the suspect and his wife and didn't know of any problems in the relationship.

"I'm caught off guard just like everybody else," Croskey said.

The officer responded to a domestic call about 4 p.m., according to police. A neighbor said he heard two to three shots fired.

About 7:30 p.m., additional shots were heard coming from the direction of the home.

Roads were blocked off around the shooting site. At Tacoma General Hospital, police gathered and a chaplain was seen arriving Wednesday evening.

Since 1985, three of the four Tacoma Police officers killed in the line of duty were responding to calls involving domestic violence.

In 2014, the department launched its "Courage to End Domestic Violence" initiative, recognizing that the most responded-to calls for service involved domestic violence.

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, the Tacoma officer shot Wednesday night would be the 133rd officer to die in the line of duty this year and the 60th to die by gunfire.

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