Following a string of shootings near Memphis' popular Beale Street Saturday evening, Officer Verdell Smith, 46, was struck and killed by the suspect's getaway car while he was working to clear the crime scene. The male suspect is believed to be responsible for shooting two people at a local restaurant and a third at a Bass Pro Shop; he is now in custody.
"I am angry this morning — angry at the senseless loss of a dedicated public servant, and angry at the absolutely unacceptable level of violence in our city," Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.
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