A suspect who allegedly shot a California officer was illegally in the country, authorities said

"It's not appropriate for me to identify (the suspect) until we are absolutely 100% sure that we have the right name," said the sheriff's Stanislaus County, Adam Christianson.

He testified that Singh was stopping traffic for an alleged investigation into impaired driving at the time of the shooting.

"There was a shootout," he said. "Singh tried to defend himself."

The Suspect – whose Surveillance Images Show That It's a Man heavy, with black hair and shaved – has fled a pickup truck Dodge Ram 1500 silver or gray extended cab, police said. The truck was found later on Wednesday as detectives had been issued a search warrant at an address near Newman, said the sheriff's department.

thick silver chain around his neck. The California Highway Patrol has described him as being of Hispanic origin.

Since July 2011, Singh, a native of Fiji, was part of the 12-member Newman Police Department.

Randy Richardson urged anyone with useful information to help investigators "get that killer out of the cops out of the street".

"He was an American patriot," said Richardson. "He was not born in this country, but came to this country for the sole purpose of serving this country."

English was not his first language – it was his third language – and Singh enrolled in speech classes because he wanted his traffic radio is included.

"Please remember the man," Richardson said. "Yes, he was a policeman, but he was a human being.His five-month-old son will never hear him speak, he will never see his son walk … because a coward has cost him life."

Singh's K9 dog, Sam, was with him the night he was shot and will stay with his family – and will be retired.

"I will not take away another family member," said Richardson.