Would a social worker have improved the outcome?

Police officer shot to death while responding to domestic violence call, making him second murdered cop in as many days

NEWS

SARAH TAYLOR

MAY 12, 2021

A Stockton, California, police officer is dead after a suspect shot him multiple times as he arrived at a domestic violence call Tuesday morning.

The suspect was also reportedly shot during the incident and later died from his injuries.

The Stockton officer is the second California police officer in as many days to die at the hands of violent criminals.

What are the details? 

KABC-TV identified the law enforcement official as Officer Jimmy Inn of the Stockton Police Department.

The suspect, identified by KCRA-TV as 30-year-old Lance Lowe, reportedly fatally shot Inn as the officer responded to a domestic violence call at Lowe's home.

KCRA reported, "Inn arrived [at the scene] around 10:07 a.m. and knocked on the door before standing off to the side. A voice came from inside the home and said, 'Hey, police' before that person, later identified as 30-year-old Lance Lowe, fired a gun multiple times at Inn."

KCRA said that a second Stockton police officer, Pancho Freer, was near the scene. When he arrived, he reportedly spotted Lowe standing over Inn while holding a gun. Lowe then reportedly shot at Freer before the officer returned gunfire.

"The suspect then went into the home and returned moments later holding a young child," KABC's report continued. "The suspect began to strangle the child, an 8-year-old boy."

A bystander then purportedly tackled Lowe, allowing time for Freer to fire on the suspect.

Lowe was transported to a local hospital for injuries and later died.

The child was not hurt during the attack.

KCRA-TV reported that area residents said they heard 10 to 15 gunshots during the time Inn was killed. A patrol car riddled with bullet holes was parked at the scene of the crime.

Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones said that the attack on Inn was a "violent, blatant, and very sudden assault," the station reported.

In a statement shared on Twitter, the department said, "It is with great sadness that we announce Officer Jimmy Inn was shot & killed in the line of duty while on a DV call this morning. The suspect was also shot & killed by another SPD officer. Officer Inn was hired in 2015 & was a member of our honor guard."

The 30-year-old police officer is survived by his wife, who is also a Stockton police officer. Inn leaves behind a 7-month-old son, a 12-year-old stepdaughter, and a 14-year-old stepson.