Manhunt underway for suspect who shot and killed Orlando police officer

Authorities launched a manhunt after a suspect shot and killed Orlando police sergeant Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on Monday morning.

Clayton approached Markeith Loyd near a Walmart when he opened fire.

Police are also seeking Loyd, 41, for the December murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon.

“We are going to bring this dirtbag to justice, and he’s going to jail,” Orlando Police chief John Mina said.

A murder suspect shot Master Sgt. Clayton around 7:15 a.m. after someone pointed out Loyd at a Wal-Mart. She gave chase on foot, the agency reported.

Authorities are offering a $60,000 reward to anyone with information that could help capture Loyd.

Clayton, the first Orlando officer killed in the line of duty in a decade, was one of the first responders to Pulse nightclub in June after a mass shooting.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina called Clayton “a hero. She gave her life for the community she loves.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement sent out an alert midday, describing Loyd as 6-3, 230 pounds and having last been seen on Cinderlane Parkway, a road through Rosemont, a high-crime area.

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