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Police officer killed, another injured in Illinois shooting; suspect sought

The Bradley police officers were shot Wednesday night after they responded to a report of dogs barking in an unattended vehicle outside a Comfort Inn.

Authorities in Illinois are searching for an "armed and dangerous" man after a police officer was shot and killed and another was wounded during a call Wednesday.

The officers responded to a Comfort Inn at about 9:40 p.m. "for reported dogs barking in an unattended vehicle which was parked in the parking lot," Bradley Police Chief Donald W. Barber said Thursday morning in a statement.

Officers found the room where the owner of the vehicle was staying and "initiated conversation," according to the statement. During the conversation, one of the people in the room attacked the officers, and shot both of them, police said.

One died at a nearby hospital, according to the department. The Kankakee County Coroner's Office identified the slain officer in a Facebook post as Bradley Police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic.

The other officer is in critical condition and in surgery, according to the police department. That person's name was not released.

The Illinois State Police, which is leading the investigation, is searching for Darius D. Sullivan, 25, and another person of interest, Barber's statement said. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to Sullivan.

Bradley is about 60 miles south of Chicago.