Police chief calls fallen officer a patriot

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The police chief of a tiny California police department choked up as he spoke about one of his officers who was killed the day after Christmas.

Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson said at a news conference Thursday that his department of 12 is grieving Cpl. Ronil Singh and that other agencies are lending a hand.

Singh was shot during a traffic stop Wednesday. Richardson pleaded for the public to help bring the attacker to justice as authorities search for the suspect.

The police chief called the Fiji-born Singh an “American patriot” and said he came to the U.S. to serve this country.

Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson told reporters that the suspect is in the United States illegally.