A Missouri police officer who was killed while responding to a 911 call Tuesday night had just returned to full-time duty to replace a recently fallen officer in his department, officials said.
Clinton Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton’s death comes after at least 20 officers have died in the line of the duty since the start of 2018.
Morton, 30, was shot and killed when he and two other officers responded to a 911 call at a home located 75 miles outside of Kansas City, Missouri State Highway Patrol said. Morton had been with the Clinton Police Department from February 2015 to January 2017. He stayed on as a reserve officer, but returned to full-time duty in the summer after fellow Officer Gary Michael was shot and killed during a traffic stop in August, FOX4 KC reported.
“Clinton, MO, Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton, served with distinction for the citizens of Clinton as a full-time Police Officer from 2/12/2015 until 1/10/2017. He stayed with the department as reserve officer until he returned again to full time duty 9/24/2017. #ClintonPD,” Missouri State Highway Patrol tweeted.
Sgt. Bill Lowe said early Wednesday that the three officers responded to a call where two women were heard screaming in the background late Tuesday night.
The suspected shooter, who was not identified, opened fire from inside the home while the officers attempted to apprehend the individual. Morton was fatally shot, while the two other officers, who were not identified, were wounded and taken to the hospital.
A SWAT team entered the home at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday and found the suspect dead. It’s unclear how the suspect died. The women in the house at the time were not injured and were taken into custody.
Morton’s death marks the second Clinton police officer to die in the line of duty in the last seven months, FOX4 KC reported.