By AP/KWMU

St. Louis, MO – A St. Louis police officer was shot and killed Wednesday night while trying to detain a suspect in north city.

Norvelle Brown, 22, had been with the department less than a year. Police are still looking for up to three suspects in that shooting.

Police Chief Joe Mokwa says the officer was wearing body armor, but the bullet entered through the side of his bullet-proof vest; he was shot in the shoulder, the bullet traveled through his chest.

Brown died at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

A .38-caliber gun and a 357 magnum. Investigators cannot say if either weapon was used to kill Brown until a ballistics report is complete.

Brown, a 2003 Vashon High School graduate, joined the department in March, 2006 and graduated from the police academy in November.

He's the first city police officer to die in the line of duty since January, 2004, when Nicholas Sloan was killed during a drug arrest in north city. During that shooting, Sloan's partner, officer Gabriel Keithley, was seriously injured but recovered.

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