The Milwaukee Police Department mourns the death of an officer fatally shot Tuesday while responding to a call on the city’s south side, authorities confirmed.

Milwaukee officers located a suspect wanted in connection with a robbery that occurred late Monday night, according to an MPD press release. The suspect ignored police commands and fled on foot. A struggle broke out after one of the officers caught up with the suspect, who was armed with a handgun.

During the struggle, the police officer and the suspect exchanged gunfire, the press release stated. The officer was taken to a hospital for treatment, but later died of his injuries.

In the midst of the “fluid and ongoing investigation,” authorities are unable to confirm whether the 19-year-old suspect was shot by the officer or died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The slain officer, whose name and photo have not yet been released, was 37 years old and had served on the force for over four years, according to the MPD. His murder marks the fifth line-of-duty death in the city since 2018, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. (RELATED: New Report Shows Massive Spike In Felony Cop Killings)

A growing memorial outside @MilwaukeePolice District 4. @fox6now spoke to a mother of an officer at the district. She cried while sharing her deepest sympathies for the fallen officer’s family. She said, ‘there’s not one of us that hasn’t thought about if we were in their place.’ pic.twitter.com/R9ztVLYjGO

— Amelia Jones (@AmeliaJonesTV) February 7, 2023

MPD’s loss comes amid a rash of violence against police nationwide. January closed out with 34 officers shot in the line of duty, up 89 percent from the same time last year, according to the Fraternal Order of Police.

“This is a terrible day for our city, and we are hurting,” Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said in the department’s press release. “An officer got ready to go to work last night to protect our community and paid the ultimate sacrifice,” the release read.