KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A police officer in Kansas City, Kansas, who was shot Tuesday while investigating an armed disturbance call, has died, Dr. James Howard of the University of Kansas Hospital said.
The officer was identified by police Chief Terry Zeigler as Capt. Robert Melton.
Zeigler told reporters the officer was looking for four people in a car around 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 Capt. Melton was arriving, the suspects bailed from the vehicle and began firing," 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.
Tomasic sad 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 Kansas City police officer is in critical condition after he was shot while responding to 911 call. (WDAF)
This makes the second instance of a Kansas City, Kan. officer shot in the line of duty since the May 9 shooting of Det. Brad Lancaster.
Officer Tomasic said that news of the shooting is hitting the department especially hard following Lancaster's death.
"It definitely makes it worse, you've got the feelings of two months ago coming up with the brand new ones," Tomasic said. "It's hard, it's very hard right now. Especially when it's someone who's very close."
This is a developing story.
