St. Louis Police: On-Duty Cop Accidentally Shot, Killed Off-Duty Cop

'Terribly sad' incident is still under investigation
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 24, 2019 1:54 PM CST
St. Louis Police: On-Duty Cop Accidentally Shot, Killed Off-Duty Cop
Flags fly at half-staff in front of the St. Louis Police Officers Association on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, following the shooting death of a police officer.   (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

A St. Louis police officer "mishandled" a gun and accidentally shot and killed a colleague early Thursday, authorities said. The shooting happened around 1am at an officer's home, police Chief John Hayden told reporters during a news conference shortly after the shooting. Two on-duty male officers were at one of their apartments when Katlyn Alix, who was off duty, stopped by, according to police. A police incident report said the three officers were seated in the apartment living room when one of the male officers "mishandled a firearm and shot (Alix) in the chest." The male officers, both 29, drove Alix, 24, to a hospital, where she died, the AP reports.

Hayden declined to answer questions about the circumstances surrounding the shooting or why the officers had gathered at the home. He did say that the officers' arrival at the home was not proceeded by a call for service or help. Police have not released the names of the male officers. Police have not said whether the gun involved was a service weapon. An internal police investigation is underway. The St. Louis County prosecutor's office is also investigating, a spokeswoman for Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner said. "Officer Alix was an enthusiastic and energetic young woman with a bright future ahead of her," Hayden said in a statement. The department said Alix was a patrol officer who had graduated from the St. Louis Police Academy in January 2017. Alix, who was also a military veteran, is survived by her husband, parents and a sister. (The boyfriend of a slain police officer was recently arrested for her murder.)

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