Two police officers were shot in Birmingham, Ala., Jan. 13, 2019.Chief Smith said it was not immediately clear if the two suspects arrested Sunday are responsible for the spike in car burglaries in downtown Birmingham.
"This is a problem that we've been working on in the city and that's why the officers were out here, trying to make sure that we're doing everything that we can to protect the citizens," Smith said.
He said the shooting of the two officers has left their colleagues heartbroken.
"This is a very difficult time," he said. "There are members on this department that have worked with them for years and they're hurting just like everyone else.
Carter, a married father, joined the Birmingham Police Department in 2011 and had worked a variety of assignments, including serving as a school resource officer. He was promoted to sergeant in February 2018.
Carter was one of 11 Birmingham police officers given the Alabama Legislative Medal of Honor for rescuing two little girls who were buried in debris when the roof of their grandmother's house collapsed in April 2016.
"If it had not been for the actions of these eight officers and the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service, two little girls would have died," reads a 2017 proclamation from the legislature honoring the Carter and the other officers. "Although the scene was in chaos, each officer gave 100 percent and worked as a team to save these little girls."
Sgt. Heath Boackle, president of the Birmingham Fraternal Order of Police union, called Carter a "class act."
"He was a very loved officer. Everyone thought very highly of him," Boackle said told ABC News Sunday. "When the bell rings, we all have a duty to respond and react. That's just what this sergeant and the other officer were doing. [They] were trying to protect the community ... and he paid the ultimate sacrifice."
ABC News' Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
Kaynak:Abcnews