Austin police officer killed at a Walmart

By msnbc.com staff and news services

A police officer was fatally shot early Friday at a Walmart store in Austin, Texas, and?a suspect is in custody.

Austin police Chief Art Acevedo said the officer was shot in the neck and died at the scene around 2:30 a.m. Acevedo said the officer was responding to a routine call about a drunk man in the store.

KUT News reported that when the officer arrived at the scene, the suspect began to fight him. The suspect then pulled out a semi-automatic pistol, according to police, and shot the officer in the neck area.

The officer was able to radio for help, KUT said, but he later died in the store.

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The officer's name has not been released.

Acevedo said two Walmart employees tackled the suspect after the shooting and held him until another police officer arrived and arrested him.

According to KUT, the officer had two daughters, aged 6 and 10. Acevedo said he would like to see the shooter face murder charges.

"It is a tragedy on Good Friday to lose an officer like this, but it is part of what these men and women do," Acevedo said, according to KWTX.com. "They know when they become a police officer that this is a sacrifice they are willing to make."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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