SAPD officer shot, killed near police HQ downtown

The San Antonio Police Department, via their official Facebook page, is asking Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016 for assistance in identifying the person pictured. SAPD believes he may have information related to the shooting death of Det. Benjamin Marconi who was shoot twice while making a traffic stop. less The San Antonio Police Department, via their official Facebook page, is asking Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016 for assistance in identifying the person pictured. SAPD believes he may have information related to the ... more Photo: Courtesy Photo Photo: Courtesy Photo Image 1 of / 77 Caption Close SAPD officer shot, killed near police HQ downtown 1 / 77 Back to Gallery

A veteran San Antonio police officer in the Special Victims Unit was shot and killed before noon Sunday while performing a routine traffic stop near police headquarters downtown, officials said, prompting a citywide search for the gunman.

SAPD Chief William McManus said the shooting occurred on the south side of SAPD headquarters, at 11:45 a.m. where the officer, identified as Detective Benjamin Marconi, 50, was issuing a traffic citation. As he did so, a black vehicle pulled up behind the officer's unit.

The suspect got out of the car, walked up to the passenger window and fired one round into the patrol car, hitting Marconi in the head, McManus said. He said the suspect reached in and fired again, hitting Marconi a second time.

RELATED: Hours-long standoff on Northwest Side with SAPD ends in gunfire, one dead

The suspect then drove off, McManus said.

Marconi was transported to San Antonio Military Medical Center, where the 20-year veteran was pronounced dead.

The suspect is described as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet, 7 inches to 6-feet tall, wearing a gray shirt and black pants. According to police, the suspect was driving a black mid-size sedan with chrome wheels.

A photo showing a person of interest was leaked on Facebook around 4:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon. San Antonio police confirmed the authenticity of the photo Sunday evening, and released a statement saying the person could have information on the slaying of the detective.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $10,000 for information which leads to the arrest of the suspect or suspects for the capital murder.

According to chatter on police scanners after the shooting, police were searching the area near headquarters and the surrounding buildings for the gunman, while homicide detectives were interviewing witnesses who were either near a VIA bus stop, or on a VIA bus near where the shooting occurred.

"Right now we are looking for a possible motive," McManus said. "We are looking for video footage that may help us identify this individual."

He said this is everyone's worst nightmare, from the officers on the department, to officer families, to those who support the police department.

"It's always difficult, especially in this day and age, where police are being targeted across the country," McManus said.

RELATED: A man is dead following a fight that ended in gunfire Sunday morning

Officials later ordered police officers not to attempt any traffic stops unless they had a cover officer.

Marconi leaves behind two adult children, said Mike Helle, president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association.

"I can tell you this: everyone was stunned and shocked," said Helle. "Even for myself, I'm still trying to come to the realization that this actually did happen to someone we knew in our family."

Jesse Salame, a spokesman for the San Antonio Police Department, said Marconi was a friendly person who cared about his work and his colleagues.

Marconi's colleagues from the Special Victims Unit gathered at San Antonio Police Department's headquarters on Sunday to support each other and express their condolences, Salame said.

"He was a great guy," Salame said. "He cared about the job he did and the people he worked with."

A Twitter profile that appeared to belong to Marconi included photos of the detective smiling with friends and family. On the profile, Marconi shared a photo of his father, who was also a law enforcement officer.

He also expressed his condolences for officers killed in the line of duty, including five Dallas officers shot and killed in July, and for the victims of the Orlando LGBTQ nightclub massacre.

And on Facebook, the Human Rights Campaign San Antonio said Marconi was a friend and supporter of the Human Rights Campaign.

Jonathan Segura, who was visiting San Antonio from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, said he saw the shooting occur. It didn't seem like the suspect was drunk or on drugs, Segura said.

Outgoing Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau said county deputies are actively looking for the suspect and assisting SAPD in any way they may need.

In Texas this year, 17 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty. Of those, six were killed by gunfire, including five officers killed in a Dallas ambush in July, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

Since 1791, Texas has had the most law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty than any other state with 1,881, according to the site.

In a news release, San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor said this type of crime cannot and will not be tolerated. She gave her condolences to the family of the officer and to the entire police force.

"This type of senseless violence is unacceptable," Taylor said during an afternoon police press conference.

Gov. Greg Abbott also condemned the killing and said attacks on law enforcement cannot be tolerated and must be met with swift justice. He asked all Texans to join together in prayer for the officer's family.

RELATED: SAPD Officers who have died in the line of duty

Fifty-two San Antonio police officers have died in the line of duty since 1857, according to statistics from the San Antonio Police Department.

Charley Wilkison, executive director of Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, expressed sadness at "the senselessness of the tragedy" and the fact that Texas has the highest number of police deaths in the country.

"I've been at CLEAT for 23 years. If there's one thing I wish I could've impacted it would've been to reduce the number of (police) deaths in the state."

The last San Antonio police officer killed was Robert Deckard, Jr., who died in December 2013.

Deckard, 32, was a seven-year veteran at SAPD who was shot Dec. 8, 2013 as he pursued two robbery suspects. The chase reached speeds of 115 mph, police said. Deckard died after 13 days in intensive care.

Sgt. Kenneth Vann, Sr. was the last law enforcement officer killed from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. He was shot and killed in May 2011 during an ambush at a red light.

San Antonio native Lucy Aldaba heard about the killing and decide to come to police headquarters to show her support.

"I don't even know the officer's name, but it does hurt,' said Aldaba who brought flowers and a sign expressing thanks to officers. She said she has many friends on the force. "I think everybody should come and show appreciation in their own way, in whatever way they can, but take your city back."

In the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, 16 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty since 1840, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to honoring America's fallen law enforcement.

On Sunday evening, the flags at police headquarters were lowered to half-staff. The streets surrounding the building reopened and people gathered to pay their respects and leave makeshift memorials.

News researcher Michael Knoop contributed to this report