Father-of-two police officer, 29, is killed by convicted felon in South Carolina park shootout

Officer Christopher DeLong was dispatched to a domestic disturbance around 9:30am Saturday after a woman reported that Adam Dowdy, 33, had breached her restraining order and was damaging her property. Dowdy had left the scene before DeLong arrived, but officers located him about an hour later near a vehicle matching the woman's description — at which point he opened fire on them. DeLong, a two-year veteran of the Columbia Police Department, succumbed to his wounds; fellow officer David Dymock was also shot but is in a stable condition. Dowdy, who carried an extensive criminal record, died in the exchange.

DeLong's widow Hannah, 28, wrote on Facebook: 'My babies now have to grow up without their daddy.'

Police chief Skip Holbrook was visibly emotional at a news conference, saying 'our hearts are broken this evening' and leading a procession from the hospital.

Dowdy had a lengthy history of arrests and had already breached the woman's restraining order earlier that same morning before opening fire on the officers.