Florida Corrections Officer Fatally Shot Tracking Killer

A Florida correctional officer was mortally wounded today, while he pursued a suspected killer in Holmes County, the state's Department of Corrections has announced.

Col. Greg Malloy, 44, was killed exchanging gunfire with suspect Wade Williams, while assisting the Holmes County Sheriff's Office deputy. Col. Malloy was working as part of the Holmes Correctional Institution's K-9 tracking team. The suspect, wanted for the double homicide of his parents, was also killed during the exchange.

"Words can never express our emotions when an officer falls in the line of duty," according to Secretary Walt McNeil. "Tragedies such as today's underscore the dangers inherent in our profession both inside and outside the prison walls. We extend our condolences to Greg's family and his co-workers."

Malloy began his career with the Department of Corrections in 1988 as a correctional officer and rose through the ranks. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is conducting the officer-involved shooting investigation.