SAN MARCOS, Texas (Talk1370.com) -- A San Marcos Police officer was fatally shot and two others were seriously injured while responding to a domestic disturbance on the city's southwest side Saturday evening.
The incident happened at the Twin Lake Villas Apartments near Hunter Road and McCarty Lane.
San Marcos officials say a call to 911 reporting the disturbance came in just after 6 p.m. Saturday. When officers responded to the apartment complex, the suspect ambushed them with a rifle once they were inside the apartment.
Interim Police Chief Bob Klett said 31-year old officer Justin Putnam was fatally wounded at the scene, while officers Franco Stewart and Justin Mueller were wounded. Stewart and Mueller were transported to Ascension Seton Hays where they underwent surgery Saturday evening; both remain in critical but stable condition Sunday morning in intensive care.
Putnam was a graduate of Texas State University, and had served with the department for five and a half years. Westwood High School head football coach Anthony Wood fondly remembered Putnam, who earned All-State honors while playing for the Warriors' football team.
Klett said the suspect, who has been preliminarily identified as 46-year old Alfredo Perez Delacruz, was found deceased inside the apartment from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Klett said the Texas Rangers are helping with the investigation into Delacruz, as it appears he may have been using several different aliases.
"We are heartbroken to make this announcement," Klett said in a statement Saturday evening. "We ask for your support for our fellow officers and their families as we try to cope with yet another tragic event in our San Marcos Police family."
Klett thanked several area agencies for their help with the response, including many Hays County law enforcement agencies.
This is the second line of duty death for SMPD. Officer Kenneth Copeland was shot and killed while serving a warrant on December 4, 2017.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shared his condolences on the shooting in a statement Saturday evening. "Tonight's shooting in San Marcos is a somber reminder of the service and sacrifice our brave men and women in law enforcement make every day to keep us safe," Abbott said. "I am grateful for the swift action of the San Marcos Police Department in containing the threat and minimizing the loss of life. I ask all Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for the officer killed and for those injured, and for the continued safety of all law enforcement officers who protect our communities."