West Memphis, AR. in the line of Duty death

[locokarma]

West Memphis (AP) - A crash of a West Memphis patrol car during a chase of another car carrying suspects in a robbery killed one officer and injured another.

The crash occurred Thursday night as the chase in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 55 neared the Arkansas end of a bridge carrying traffic over the Mississippi River into Memphis, Tennessee. The section of roadway was closed to traffic.

State police said 24-year-old Michael Waters was killed. The state police report said Waters, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from his cruiser and run over by a second police car that was in pursuit.

The other injured officer, a passenger in Waters' vehicle, was identified as 22-year-old Robert Hester, a trainee. He was taken to a hospital for minor injuries. State police identified the driver of the other cruiser as Bert Shelton.

Officials said the officers were chasing three men in a stolen car with a Tennessee license plate when the crash occurred at an exit near the bridge.

A Memphis television station reports that three suspects have been arrested in Memphis. Police also recovered the car believed to have been involved in the chase and robbery. No word on charges yet.