SAN MARCOS, Texas – A police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty in Texas over the weekend.
The San Marcos Police Department says 31-year-old Justin Putnam and two other officers were ambushed by a suspect with a rifle when they responded to an apartment complex at about 6:05 p.m. Saturday.
The officers were responding after receiving a 911 call reporting an assault or domestic disturbance.
Putnam was engaged to be married, was a graduate of Texas State University and had been with the department since 2014, according to police.
The two other officers, 27-year-old Franco Stewart and 38-year-old Justin Mueller, were also injured in the shooting. Both are said to be in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit at Ascension Seton Hays in Kyle.
“We lost a fine young man, faithful officer and friend last night,” said the department’s interim police chief, Bob Klett. “Our hearts are heavy as we pray for Justin Putnam’s family and for our two officers fighting for their lives today.”
Police say the suspect, 46-year-old Alfredo Perez Delacruz, was found dead in his apartment from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Detectives are working to confirm his identity and if he has a criminal record as it appears that he may have operated under several aliases.
