An Indian-origin police officer was shot dead by an “armed” unidentified gunman at a traffic stop when he was “working overtime on Christmas night to provide the best for his family” in Newman, California just before 1 a.m.
In a statement, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department said Corporal Ronil Singh of the Newman Police Department had called out “shots fired” on his police radio, and after that many cops arrived at the scene and found Singh suffering from gunshots wounds.
33-year-old Ronil Singh was then taken to a local hospital nearby where he was pronounced dead.
Singh is survived by his wife, Anamika and 5-month-old son.
The department said that before the police arrived, the suspect fled the scene in his vehicle.
Also, with leading the investigation, the department has released surveillance photos of the suspect and vehicle and asked for any information on the identity of the suspect.
A veteran of over 7 years at the Newman Police Department, Ronil Singh was assigned as a canine officer.
He served with the Merced County Sheriff’s Department before joining the Newman Police Department.
As per reports, Singh was native of Fiji and had immigrated to the United States.
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Raj Singh said, “Ronil was living the American Dream. He immigrated here from the Fiji Islands, just like my parents did, and was definitely enjoying the American Dream.”
Condolence messages for Officer Ronil Singh poured in from police departments and officials across the country.
-Harleen Sandhu
