San Antonio Police Officer Fatally Shot While Writing Ticket
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
SAN ANTONIO (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Authorities said a San Antonio police officer has been fatally shot while writing a traffic ticket outside of police headquarters.
San Antonio police Chief William McManus said the officer was killed late Sunday morning. He said the suspect has not yet been apprehended and a motive is not known.
According to San Antonio CBS affiliate KENS, McManus confirmed that the officer killed was 50-year-old detective Benjamin Marconi. He was a 20-year veteran of the police force.
McManus said the officer had pulled over a vehicle and while he was inside his vehicle writing a ticket, a vehicle pulled up behind him. He said the driver of that vehicle got out, walked up to the officer's driver-side window and shot the officer in the head.
McManus also said that after the shooting, the driver got back into his car and escaped by driving through the police headquarters' parking lot.
The officer was pronounced dead at a hospital.
McManus said the department does not know if there is a connection between the vehicle that Marconi stopped and the shooter. The department is treating this as a capital murder case.
"This is everyone's worst nightmare," McManus said.
Gov. Greg Abbott released the following statement Sunday afternoon:
"Cecilia and I extend our deepest condolences to the victim's family and harshly condemn this horrific act of violence. We ask that all Texans join us in praying for the officer's loved ones as they deal with the aftermath of this unimaginable tragedy. Attacks against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated in Texas and must be met with swift justice, which is why I look forward to signing my Police Protection Act into law - making targeted attacks against law enforcement a hate crime."
On Facebook, San Antonio police are seeking the public's help in identifying a person of interest who may have information regarding the officer's death. The person of interest has not been named a suspect.
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)