CNN
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One Alabama officer has died and another is in critical condition after they were shot by a suspect who barricaded himself inside an apartment as they were responding to a reported domestic violence attack on a woman in Huntsville, officials said late Tuesday.
Both officers were taken to a hospital following the shooting Tuesday, and one of them died there, the Huntsville Police Department said in a news release.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall identified the dead officer as Garrett Crumby, a three-year veteran of the Huntsville Police Department and the first Alabama officer to die in the line of duty this year.
“Tonight, our State grieves the death of another member of the law enforcement community — one who, when called upon, ran toward danger in aide of a female victim and her two small children,” Marshall said.
Crumby and another officer were “ambushed” by a suspect, who had shot and wounded a woman.
The woman called 911 around 4:45 p.m. local time and reported she had been shot at an apartment building.
The suspect shot the first two arriving officers, Crumby and Albert Morin. The other officer underwent surgery and remained in critical condition Tuesday.
The suspect was injured and hospitalized, and remains in police custody.
The injured woman was also taken to a hospital, Deputy Chief Michael Johnson said during a news conference. Her injuries were non-life threatening, he noted.
Kirk Giles, chief of the Huntsville Police Department, said the officer’s loss is devastating to the community.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to the officer’s family as they mourn their loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice. As we grieve with our fallen officer’s family, we have another officer fighting for his life. Please keep all our officers and the entire department in your prayers,” Giles said.
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said Tuesday has been a “painful night for the City of Huntsville and for our police family.”
“We are heartbroken. Words cannot express our loss. We have been overwhelmed by the show of love and support from our community, and we stand united with our police officers and their families in this tragic moment,” he said in a news release.
The deceased officer will be taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville, and an autopsy is set to be conducted on Wednesday.
