Police search for suspect reportedly in the US illegally after officer was killed in California

On Wednesday morning, a Newman, California police Corporal conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck. The vehicle was pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence.

Tragically, the policeman was shot and killed by the suspect and authorities have now launched a manhunt for the suspect who is said to be in the US illegally.

Police Corporal Ronil "Ron" Singh, 33, was shot after stopping a pickup truck in Newman around 1 a.m. He described the vehicle to dispatchers as a silver Dodge Ram with paper plates from AR Auto, a dealership in Merced.

For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa. A few minutes later, the policeman called in for shots fired and a number of deputies from both Stanislaus and Merced counties responded.

However, when backup arrived, they found the truck and suspect gone and Singh was lying on the ground. The officer was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries.

On Thursday a news conference was held where Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson revealed that his department wouldn’t release the name of the suspect. However, he shared that they believed they knew who he was.

The suspect, who was said to be in the US illegally, was described as a heavy-set Hispanic man with closely cropped black hair. Photographs showed that the suspect was wearing a zip-up hoodie with an Ecko logo on the sleeve and a thick silver chain around his neck.

Surveillance images also showed that the man took off in a silver or gray extended-cab Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. On Wednesday, the police found the suspect’s truck at an address near Newman.

Since a manhunt has been launched, Christianson shared that his deputies were getting tips from people in Fresno, Merced and, all the way to the Bay Area.

Deputy Royjindar Singh of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said:

"We have a lot of officers here not just from our agency, but several agencies throughout Stanislaus County. Our primary goal is to catch the suspect. We have officers, deputies, counselors with the Newman officers, and the Singh family.”

Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson pleaded for help in the search for the suspect. He described the fallen policeman as a man who:

“Loved being a police officer. He loved being a husband. He loved being a father. My department is hurting. We’re struggling through this.”

Richardson further stated while shaking away tears:

"He will never see his son walk. He doesn't get to hold that little boy, hug his wife, say goodnight anymore because a coward took his life."

On Thursday, President Donald Trump tweeted about the incident writing:

“There is right now a full-scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop. Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall!”

Singh was the first Newman officer to die in the line of duty. He was born in Fiji but immigrated to the US to pursue a career in public service.

The slain officer joined the Newman police force in 2011 and worked as a K-9 policeman with his dog, Sam. The canine was with him on the day he got shot.

Sam would be retired to Singh’s family. The officer’s parents and brother currently live in Fiji, but they would make their way to California.

The policeman is survived by his wife and 5-month-old son. Police departments from San Francisco to Los Angeles have tweeted the suspect's picture and have called for the public’s assistance in finding him.

Anyone with information is asked to leave an anonymous tip by calling a dedicated line: (209) 525-7202. People with information can also e-mail www.modestopolice.com/CrimeStoppers.

On Monday afternoon, Detective Deidre "Dee Dee" Mengedoht, 32, a Louisville Metro Police detective, was killed after her patrol car was struck by an impaired driver. At the time, the Kentucky policewoman was conducting a traffic stop on a pickup truck on the eastbound side of Interstate 64 just after 2 p.m.

A semi-truck crashed into the officer's vehicle setting it alight.