The Huntsville Police Department on Saturday released the name of the officer killed in the line of duty Friday night.

Chief Mark McMurray identified the officer as STAC officer Billy Clardy III. McMurray said Clardy had also served as a police officer in Fayetteville and as a Limestone County deputy prior to joining the Huntsville Police Department in 2005. In addition to his police experience, Clardy was also a veteran.

Clardy’s father, Huntsville Police Officer Billy Clardy Jr., died in the line of duty on May 3, 1978 in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. 72.

Both McMurray and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said Billy Clardy III not only loved his job as a STAC agent, but was also active in Huntsville’s community outreach efforts to help the homeless.

According to published media reports, he is survived by his mother, wife, five children and two brothers.

Clardy was shot and killed Friday night on Levert Street in North Huntsville. Huntsville police identified the suspect as LaJeromeny Brown, who has been charged with capital murder.

McMurray said the shooting occurred during a task force operation after investigators learned of a large amount of drugs being delivered. He said the suspect “drew a gun and immediately fired on the officer.”

Clardy was wearing a bulletproof vest, but the bullet still managed to strike him in the heart, the police chief said.

Lt. Michael Johnson, a spokesman for the department, said the shooting is a stark reminder of the danger faced by police officers.

Six Alabama law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty in 2019, according to numbers released by the Alabama attorney general’s office following last month’s fatal shooting of Lowndes County Sheriff John Williams.

“I am grieved to hear of the Huntsville Police Officer killed in the line of duty and extend my deepest sympathies and prayers to his family for their unimaginable loss. It has been an exceptionally tough year for our law enforcement community, and this will be felt across our state,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement.

Prior to Clardy being identified, U.S. Attorney Jay Town said the officer was known for his dedication and professionalism.

“We must now direct our prayers to his grieving family and pull together in full support of the Huntsville Police Department and law enforcement everywhere who lost another brother of the badge tonight. I am beyond grief.”