Auburn Police Officer Shot; Two Suspects Dead in Fire

Auburn Police Dept. photo of shooting suspect Christoper Wallace.

An Auburn police officer was shot Friday afternoon after police say he pulled over a man accused of armed robbery. The suspected shooter has been identified as 38-year-old Christopher James Wallace.

Police say they had responded to the robbery in the 400 block of North Dean Road. When they got a description of the suspect’s vehicle, they later spotted it and pulled the driver over on Opelika Road.

That’s when police say Wallace shot the officer several times as the officer walked toward the vehicle. Wallace then drove off, with a woman inside with him.

Later, the pair were found at an apartment on Stonegate Drive, where police say Wallace fired at them. Police returned fire and used tear gas to try to force the pair to come out.

Fire then broke out inside the apartment, but the suspects never came out. Police believe they died in the fire.

Local, state and federal agencies are still investigating.

UPDATE: Auburn police say the officer involved was Justin Sanders, 30. He is a five-year veteran of law enforcement. He has been transferred from East Alabama Medical Center to UAB Medical Center in Birmingham, where he remains in stable condition and recovers from his injuries.

— WLTZ Columbus contributed to this report.