Poughkeepsie News: Update: Cop dies after shoot out with gunman who killed his own wife, 3 dead.

A Poughkeepsie cop died after being shot in the head Friday during a gunfight with a man who had fatally shot his own wife in a train station parking lot, police said.

The suspect was also killed - but it wasn't clear whether he committed suicide or was taken out by a police bullet.

The 44-year-old officer, who wasn't identified last night, died after undergoing surgery at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, Police Chief Ron Knapp said.

"This is a tragic day in the city of Poughkeepsie for our citizens and for our uniformed personnel," Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik said.

The incident unfolded about 1p.m., when police received a report of a shooting at a parking lot near a Metro-North railroad station in Poughkeepsie.

The first officer who arrived at the scene spotted a man running with a toddler in his arms.

He gave chase.

After a brief confrontation, the officer snatched the 3-year-old from the suspect's hands, and the man took off.

The cop handed the child to a bystander and again raced after the suspect, authorities said.

Several officers joined in the chase, which ended with a cop, an 18-year veteran of the force, shot in the head and the suspect mortally wounded. He died hours later at a local hospital.

Knapp said it appeared the gunman shot the officer.

The suspect's wife was found shot in a car in the parking lot. She died at an area hospital, authorities said.

At least half a dozen cops were involved in the chase. One officer was treated for a minor injury.

"All this happened in a five-minute period of time," said Knapp, from the moment police received the first call to a report that an officer was down.

With News Wire Services

rschapiro@nydailynews.com

With News Wire Services

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/02/18/2011-02-18_poughkeepsie_cop_critically_injured_in_shootout_with_gunman_who_killed_his_own_w.html#ixzz1EQhKgzmJ