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Alabama officer killed, suspect found dead after standoff

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) – A police officer and a shooting suspect are both dead after a standoff in Alabama.

Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Battiste told news outlets early Wednesday that Officer Justin Billa was shot Tuesday night and succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.

Battiste said that police investigating the Tuesday night death of Fonda Poellnitz had identified her ex-husband, Robert Hollie, as a person of interest. He said Hollie opened fire on officers who had set a perimeter around his Toulminville residence, striking Billa. Battiste says at least one officer fired shots at the scene, but it’s unknown if they struck Hollie.

The standoff ended around 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, with Hollie dead. Battiste says police don’t know if Hollie died from self-inflicted injuries or the shots previously fired by police.