One police officer dead after six were shot in multiple US cities

iStock/Thinkstock(KISSIMMEE, Fla.) — One policeman has died after six law enforcement officers were shot in three different U.S. cities on Friday night, their respective agencies have confirmed.

In central Florida, two officers with the Kissimmee Police Department were shot, according to Police Chief Jeffrey O’Dell.

Officer Matthew Baxter, a three-year veteran, died from his wound. The other officer, 10-year veteran Sgt. Sam Howard, remains in “grave critical condition,” and “the prognosis does not look good,” O’Dell said at a press conference early Saturday morning.

At a later press conference, the police chief announced they had arrested suspect Everett Glenn Miller for premeditated first-degree murder. Miller will be booked at Osceola County Jail in Kissimmee, which is located about 23 miles south of Orlando.

O’Dell said they do not anticipate any other arrests or charges. Earlier, the police chief said officers were investigating several suspicious persons.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the fallen officer was a “married father of three and a dedicated law enforcement hero in central Florida.”

“My heart breaks for Matthew’s family. May Matthew’s service and the service of our law enforcement community be a constant reminder of the sacrifice of those who serve to keep us safe,” Scott said in a statement Saturday. “Following last night’s shooting, I have been in touch with local law enforcement and community officials to let them know that our state supports them every step of the way.”

President Donald Trump reacted to the shootings in Kissimmee, saying in a tweet early Saturday that the police department is in his “thoughts and prayers,” adding “We are with you.”

 

My thoughts and prayers are with the @KissimmeePolice and their loved ones. We are with you!#LESM

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2017

Meanwhile, in northeastern Florida, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced that two of its officers were shot by one suspect who was armed with a “high-powered rifle” late Friday night.

The officers were responding to 911 call about an attempted suicide at a home around 11 p.m. ET. They heard gunfire coming from inside the house and attempted to make entry. But as they approached, the suspect began shooting at the officers through the door, according to the sheriff’s office.

One officer was shot in both hands, while the other was shot in the stomach. One remains in critical condition and the other is in stable condition, the sheriff’s office said.

The suspect was shot and killed by officers.

Three other people inside the house at the time of the incident hid in a back bedroom for safety. They are all safe, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Let me be very clear — last night’s violence against our law enforcement community is reprehensible and has no place in our state,” Scott said in a statement Saturday. “Florida has zero tolerance for violence, and we will not accept hatred for one second.”

Hundreds of miles away in western Pennsylvania, two Pennsylvania State Police troopers were shot in Fairchance on Friday night. Both troopers are in stable condition and expected to survive, according to Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Melinda Bondarenka.

The suspect in that shooting is dead, Bondarenka told ABC News.

According to Uniontown Hospital spokesperson Josh Krysak, one of the injured troopers was brought there for treatment.

“I can confirm that one state police trooper was brought to Uniontown Hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in a shooting incident in Fairchance this evening,” Krysak told ABC News. “The injuries suffered by this officer are not life-threatening.”

 

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