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Memphis Cop Fatally Shot During Routine Traffic Stop

By Lindsay McCane
Published on: 07:24 PST, Aug 2, 2015

A Memphis, Tennessee, cop was fatally shot during a routine traffic stop on Saturday, August 1.

According to WHVQ-Fox 13 Memphis, 33-year-old officer Sean Bolton was shot while conducting a traffic stop in in the Parkway Village area of Memphis by the occupant of the vehicle.

The report states that a call came in just before 9:20 p.m. by a citizen at the crime scene, using Bolton’s radio, requesting additional officers to be dispatched to the area of Cottonwood and Perkins because the original cop had been shot. Bolton was taken to Regional One hospital in critical condition, where he later died from several gunshot wounds.

Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong spoke at a news conference, getting emotional about one of his officers being killed in the line of duty.

“We’ve been here before. Sad to say, we’ve been here before. This is my third time in the four years I’ve been director. It doesn’t get any easier. This is not only a difficult time for me as a director, but for all the officers behind me and our city as well,” said Armstrong. Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr. issued the following statement regarding Bolton’s death.

“We give thanks for the service of Officer Sean Bolton. His tragic death reminds us of the unselfish dedication of those who patrol our streets to keep us safe. We pay tribute to him and ask God’s comfort for his family and coworkers with the Memphis Police Department.”

The police did not release a description of the suspect. However, it has been reported that they have one suspect currently in custody. It is not known if they are still actively pursuing other suspects, or how this suspect came to light.

According to a statement on the Memphis Police Department’s Facebook page, Officer Bolton was hired in October, 2010. He is the third cop to be killed in slightly more than four years under Director Toney Armstrong’s watch as head of the Memphis Police Department. In 2012, OCU Officer Martoiya Lang was killed while serving a warrant, and in 2011, Officer Timothy Warren was killed in a shootout with a suspect at the Doubletree Hotel downtown.

[Photo via Facebook]

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