Little Elm Officer Shot and Killed During Standoff
A police officer in Little Elm, Texas was fatally shot Tuesday, January 17, in a standoff with a gunman that lasted several hours and forced neighbors to evacuate.
Detective Jerry Walker died from his injuries at a local hospital, Little Elm police Chief Rodney Harrison said at a news conference. He had four children, their ages ranging from 22 to a few months.
Police responded to the scene shortly after 3 p.m. when someone reported seeing a man with a “long gun.” Officers heard a man scream from the backyard of the home and officers were able to back away when they saw he did have a firearm.
Before 4 p.m., the man went into the home and started shooting through a window into the officers stationed outside. Walker was struck in the neck. Fellow officers transported him to a nearby hospital in a police cruiser.
Police evacuated residents from nearby homes as the standoff stretched into the night. The city of Little Elm described the incident as an active-shooter situation and asked residents to avoid the area. Some schools in the area held students after classes until police deemed the area clear.
The suspect was found dead in the home shortly after 10 p.m.
Walker is the first North Texas officer to be fatally shot in the line of duty since the ambush on officers in Dallas on July 7, 2016.