Springfield police officers will wear mourning bands across their badges in honor of a Joplin police officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty on Tuesday.
According to the Joplin Globe, Cpl. Benjamin Cooper was killed Tuesday afternoon after responding to a disturbance at a shopping center. Cooper was one of three officers shot during two exchanges of gunfire with Anthony Felix, 40, who also died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during the shootouts with police. The suspect and officers first exchanged gunfire in the Northpark Crossing shopping center, during which two of the officers were shot, according to the Globe. Police told the Globe that Felix then stole a patrol car, wrecked it and fled on foot before engaging in a second exchange of gunfire. A third officer was shot during that exchange.
According to the Globe, the other two officers who were shot remained hospitalized Wednesday morning. One is in critical condition, the Globe reports, and another is in serious but stable condition. Their names have not been released. More details about the shooting are expected to be released following a news conference Wednesday afternoon, according to the Globe.
In response to Cooper’s death, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure sent condolences to the officer’s family and colleagues on behalf of the City Council and the City of Springfield.