A police officer was shot and killed early Sunday in Florida, officials said. Tarpon Springs Officer Charles “Charlie K” Kondek was shot and killed while responding to an incident at about 3 a.m. ET in Pinellas County, about 30 miles from Tampa, the Tarpon Springs Police Department said in a statement. A suspect, Marco Antonio Parilla Jr., 23, has been arrested on one count of first degree murder and will be transported to the county jail, the sheriff’s office said.
Barreda said Kondek’s family had been notified. The 45-year-old officer was a 17-year law enforcement veteran, and got his start in the New York Police Department, according to the Tarpon Springs Police Department. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the Kondek Family and (we) offer our deepest sympathy to them. May Charlie rest in peace and We Will Never Forget him,” the Tarpon Springs Police Department posted on Facebook. People were leaving cards and flowers outside of police headquarters, where a police cruiser was parked outside to honor the fallen officer, according to WFLA.
The shooting came hours after a gunman shot and killed two police officers in Brooklyn before taking his own life. Investigators in New York believe the attacker boasted on social media about a plan to target cops, possibly out of revenge for the deaths of two unarmed black men who died in confrontations with police.
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