A Mt. Vernon police officer is dead after a shootout involving county officers near the Westchester County Building in White Plains Friday afternoon. At a news conference, White Plains Public Safety Commissioner Frank Straub confirmed the victim was a cop. The officer has been identified by News 12 Westchester as 21-year-old Chris Ridley, a two-year veteran of the force.

Witnesses say the incident began when an altercation between Ridley and another man outside a district office of the Westchester County Department of Social Services turned physical. They say one of the men drew a gun and it somehow ended up on the ground.

Officers responded to the altercation and drew their weapons, witnesses say. According to witnesses, Ridley reached for the gun that was on the ground and police fired. Straub said Westchester County police officers were also involved in the shooting and were taken to the hospital. He wouldn?t comment on what sparked the shooting or how many officers were involved.

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