Kansas police officer shot and killed in Kansas City

Baku. 20 July. REPORT.AZ/ A police officer in Kansas City, Kansas, who was shot Tuesday while chasing suspects allegedly involved in a drive-by shooting, has died, police Chief Terry Zeigler said.

Report informs, this information was provided by the local sources.

The officer was identified as Captain Robert Melton. He was 46 years old and had been with the department for 17 years. The officer was looking for four people in a car some time before 2 p.m. when the vehicle was spotted and a chase began. The chase ended about 2 miles from where the suspects were initially reported to a 911 dispatcher.

"As Captain Melton was arriving, the suspects bailed from the vehicle and opened fire," the chief said. "I don't have any more details than that."

Another officer who had just arrived called for assistance, police spokesman Thomas Tomasic said earlier during a briefing at the scene of the shooting.

Tomasic said he knew the officer who had been shot, calling him a "good friend, good person."

One person is in custody and two others who might be connected to the incident have been detained. Police are searching for at least one more suspect, Tomasic said.

A police statement said the Melton family had asked for the media to give them privacy.

Kansas City Mayor Mark Holland asked for people not to jump to conclusions and wait for an investigation to answer why the officer was killed.