A San Diego native who was working as a police investigator in Mississippi was shot and killed while serving a search warrant Tuesday afternoon.
Mike Walter, 37, attended Palomar College after graduating from Rancho Bernardo High School.
He was then drafted by the Houston Astros to play minor league baseball from 1993 until 2000. After that he moved to Mississippi, where he became a police officer.
The deadly shootout occurred on Tuesday afternoon as Walter and other officers with the Pearl, Miss. police department were serving a search warrant on sexual battery suspect Carnell Gaines at a Mississippi apartment complex.
Gaines opened fire, killing Walter and injuring two other police officers, one of whom shot back and killed Gaines.
"[It] was hard to comprehend," said Walter's mother Judy from their home in Rancho Bernardo. "Just doesn't seem real."
Besides his family, Mike had three passions: the San Diego Chargers, professional baseball and law enforcement.
"He loved baseball, soccer and sports and he was a very caring person who loved his job and helping people and he loved his family," said Walter's mother.
In February of 2009, Walter joined the Pearl Police Department. A year later, Walter was promoted to investigator.
"When he went into this line of work, did you ever think something like this might be possible?" asked 10News reporter Preston Phillips. "Is it something that ever crossed your mind?"
Judy Walter responded, "It crossed my mind, but I really tried not to think about it, especially after he became more of a detective. I wasn't quite as worried as I was when he was on patrol."
Walter leaves behind his wife Jeanne and 11-year-old daughter Bailey.
Walter's mother, father and brother will fly out to Mississippi on Wednesday morning, where they will join the law enforcement community for a memorial that will take place in the coming days.
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