(CNN) An off-duty Ferguson police officer was shot multiple times when he confronted a shoplifter at a Walmart in the Missouri city Sunday night, according to the St. Louis County Police Department.

The 35-year-old officer was working security in the Walmart on West Florissant Avenue and was in full uniform when he approached the shoplifter around 7:11 p.m. local time, the St. Louis County Police Department said in a news release.

The shoplifter pulled out a firearm and discharged it, striking the officer multiple times, the release said.

The officer, who has 2 1/2 years of law enforcement experience, was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release.

Police believe the suspect fled the scene in a car, the department said.

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