Police are hunting for a man they say shot an off-duty police officer who was working security at a Walmart in Ferguson, Missouri.
According to investigators, the officer noticed the man shoplifting from the store Sunday evening. When the suspect was confronted, he pulled out a gun and fired shots at the officer, according to KMOV4. The man then fled from the store, but surveillance cameras captured images of him that were released on Monday.
St. Louis County Police Sgt. Ben Granda said authorities are using every resource at their disposal to track down the suspect, who is described as a black male between 20 and 25 years old with braided hair and a small ponytail. Police released images of the suspect, asking the public to reach out if they can identify the man.
"We believe he probably got into a car. Right now his whereabouts are unknown. We've got a large amount of our resources out here searching for this individual now," Granda said.
The 35-year-old officer, who has not been publicly identified, is in stable condition after the shooting. Granda said the officer was shot in the "arm and possibly once or twice in the torso also."
"We're very thankful he was wearing a vest tonight," the sergeant added.
Police warned the public that the man should be considered "armed and dangerous."