Travis County Sheriff's Deputy Shot Dead In His Round Rock Yard

ROUND ROCK, TX — A 32-year veteran of the Travis County Sheriff's Office was shot dead at his Round Rock home early Monday morning, police said, and a manhunt is under way to find his killers.

Sgt. Craig Hutchinson had just gone off duty and was at his Round Rock home when he radioed the sheriff's office at 1:22 a.m. to say he had "prowlers" in his yard, according to a sheriff's office release. He asked for backup from the Round Rock Police Department.

When officers got to his house, they found Hutchinson near a creek behind his back yard with a gunshot wound, police said. He was taken to Round Rock Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The incident does not appear to be a targeted killing, as recent shootings of Dallas and Baton Rouge officers were.

Hutchinson, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound cop known for his tenacity on cracking burglary cases, was called a "gentle bear" by Sheriff Greg Hamilton in a press conference Monday morning.

He had planned to retire in September.

"This guy was a big teddy bear and everybody loved him,” Hamilton said. “He was a gentle bear, and he taught me everything I know, and I loved that guy to death.”

A manhunt involving Round Rock police, the Travis County Sheriff's Office and other agencies is under way to find Hutchinson's killer. Authorities are asking anyone with information about his death to call 512-671-2767.

Though he had just gone off duty at 1 a.m., Hutchinson was considered back on duty when he radioed in the call 22 minutes later. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Hutchinson is the 69th officer killed in the line of duty in 2016, equal to the total at this time last year. He is the eighth Travis County deputy to ever be killed in the line of duty, according to the page's records.