SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - A police officer was killed in Texas and another wounded in Missouri in apparently unrelated ambush-style shootings, while a third officer was shot and wounded in Florida, authorities said on Monday.

The latest attacks on U.S. law enforcement revived painful memories of deadly ambushes targeting police in July in Dallas and Baton Rouge.

A manhunt was underway for the suspect who killed the officer in San Antonio, Texas, while the suspect in the Missouri shooting died in a shootout with authorities.

In Sunday's first incident, 50-year-old Benjamin Marconi, a 20-year veteran of the San Antonio force was fatally shot as he sat in his squad car during a routine traffic stop outside the city's police headquarters.

The assailant stopped his car behind the police cruiser, walked up and shot the officer in the head through the window as he was writing a ticket, Police Chief William McManus said.

The gunman then reached through the window, fired a second shot into the officer, returned to his vehicle and sped away.

Hours later, a 46-year-old St. Louis police sergeant was shot in the face by someone in a car who pulled up beside the officer's cruiser at an intersection, opened fire, then fled. St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said the wounded officer was conscious and able to speak after the attack.

The suspect was later killed in a shootout after officers spotted his car, police said on Monday.

The unidentified suspect was wanted for other violent crimes and likely shot the officer "in fear of being recognized," police said in a statement.

'WORST NIGHTMARE'

Meanwhile, a third police officer was shot during a traffic stop on Sanibel Island on Florida's Gulf Coast, but was not seriously hurt, local media reported.

The officer was treated for a shoulder wound and later released from the hospital, according to the reports, while the suspect was apprehended at his home on an island off Ft. Myers.

Investigators in Texas said they did not have any immediate clues to the identity of the San Antonio gunman. They found no apparent link with the man who had been pulled over, McManus told reporters.

"This is everyone's worst nightmare," McManus said. Referring to the recent ambush killings of police officers in Texas and Louisiana, he said, "You never want to see anything like this happen. Unfortunately, like Dallas, like Baton Rouge, it's happened here now."

McManus said the suspect's image was captured by security cameras.

McManus did not say whether police believe there was a racial element to the shooting. He said San Antonio officers were being ordered to call for backup during traffic stops.

The latest shootings come amid an intense national debate over the role of law enforcement and especially the use of force by officers against minorities.

In July, five Dallas police officers were killed when a black U.S. military veteran opened fire during a protest against police shootings of black men. Days later, a gunman killed three police officers and wounded four others in Baton Rouge.

Earlier this month, an Iowa man was charged with killing two police officers who were shot in their patrol cars in the Des Moines area. He had been ejected by police from a high school football game after waving a confederate flag at black spectators.

A total of 57 U.S. law enforcement officers have been killed by gunfire so far this year, a 68 percent increase from the same period in 2015.

SAPD officer shot, killed near police headquarters

Kens5.com Staff , KENS 6:34 PM. CST November 20, 2016

SAPD Detective Marconi (Photo: SAPD)

SAN ANTONIO –- The officer shot and killed outside the San Antonio Police headquarters Sunday morning has been identified.

In a press conference Sunday, SAPD Chief William McManus confirmed that Detective Benjamin Marconi, 50, was the officer who was killed during a traffic stop on Sunday.

Marconi was a 20-year veteran of the force.

Authorities responded to the scene at 11:40 a.m. on West Nueva Street and Santa Rosa Street, SAPD Chief McManus said.

McManus said Marconi pulled over a vehicle outside of the Public Safety Headquarters. While he was inside his vehicle writing a ticket, a black vehicle pulled up behind him.

The driver of that vehicle got out, walked up to Marconi’s driver-side window and shot him in the head, McManus said.

Then the suspect reached into the window and shot Marconi a second time, he said.

The suspect then got back in his car and pulled away. Police believe the suspect’s vehicle was a black Toyota or Nissan sedan.

Suspect's car in the murder of SAPD Detective Marconi (Photo: SAPD)

Police said Marconi was pronounced dead at San Antonio Military Medical Center around 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

McManus said the suspect is a black male around five-foot-seven to six feet in height, wearing a gray sweatshirt and black baggy pants. The suspect also has a beard.

Police said they do not know what the motive for the shooting was but are looking into every possible reason.

Chief McManus said in the press conference that they do not know if there was a connection between the car Marconi stopped and the shooter.

Until further notice, SAPD officers won't conduct traffic stops alone. They must have cover, said McManus in the press conference.

This is a capital murder case.

Crime Stoppers will pay $10,000 cash for information that leads to the identification and location of the suspect(s) responsible. You are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 224-STOP or go to sacrimestoppers.com.

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