Two Kissimmee police officers have been shot in Osceola County, Florida according to officials. The shooting occurred around Cypress Street around 9:30 p.m. Friday night. Multiple law enforcement agencies have been called to the scene including St. Cloud Police Department, Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's Office, Florida Highway Patrol and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Dozens of marked units surrounded the area following the attack. Mathew Baxter and Sargent Sam Howard, a 10-year veteran of the Kissimmee police department, responded to a call of shots fired when they were apparently ambushed and shot.
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Kissimmee county authorities have been periodically updating the situation through twitter. Both officers were air lifted to Osceola Regional Medical center where Mathew Baxter succumbed to injuries and Sargent Howard remains in critical condition. They were responding to a call for shots fired and were faced with armed aggressors upon arriving at the area of Cypress Street in Kissimmee. The police chief of Osceola county gave a formal briefing at 12:45 p.m. and confirmed there are three suspects in custody and a search is ongoing for a fourth.
The officers that protect the streets of America face grave danger every single day, it is a tragic day when any officers lose their lives. It is important to remember that even though mistakes can be made, the bottom line is these brave men and woman are willing to give their lives for the people they serve, and tonight at least one officer paid the ultimate price. 82 police officers have been killed in the line of duty this year in United States. Mathew Baxter is survived by his wife, also a Kissimmee police officer, and three children.