A Memphis officer responding to a pair of shootings was killed when the suspected gunman struck him with his car, police said.
Officer Verdell Smith, 46, was fatally struck downtown on Saturday night, Memphis Police Department Director Mike Rallings said.
The string of violence started with back-to-back shootings that left three people injured.
Two men were critically wounded in a shooting at Westy's restaurant at about 10 p.m., Rallings said. Minutes later, an employee at the nearby Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid was also shot but not critically wounded.
The suspect, 21-year-old Justine Welch, fled in a car, MPD spokeswoman Sgt. Karen Rudolph said. Police lost him on nearby Interstate 55.But he later returned to the scene, where officers were working to clear the area. That's when Welch struck and killed Smith, police said.