RANIER, Ore., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Dozens of police officers descended on Ranier, Ore., Wednesday after a police officer was shot to death, authorities said.
The (Portland) Oregonian reported the dead officer was the town's police chief. The Columbia County Sheriff's office verified an officer had been fatally wounded, the newspaper said.
The shooting occurred about 10:47 a.m. when the officer responded to a call about a disturbance at a shop that installs car stereos.
"The officer made contact with the suspect at the store and a struggle ensued," the sheriff's department said in a statement. "The officer was wounded with a gunshot and later was pronounced dead."
The department's release said "additional gunshots were fired and the suspect was wounded and taken into custody."
The suspect was taken to a hospital under guard but had not been arrested.
The names of the slain officer and the suspect had not been released, The Oregonian said. However, Dusty Rockwood, an employee of a nearby business, said he was told the dead officer was the police chief, Ralph Painter, 55, the newspaper said.
Rockwood said the suspect apparently had broken into a car and then wrestled with the responding officer, taking his gun and shooting him. About 30 other officers arrived at the scene and Rockwood said he could hear them shouting for the gunman to "put the gun down, put the gun down!" Gun shots fired, he said.
