RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — On Thursday, a Greensboro Police officer will be laid to rest.

Investigators say Sgt. Philip Dale Nix was shot and killed while he was trying to stop a crime at a gas station near Colfax. His death leaves the entire law enforcement community grieving.

First responders pay respects to slain Greensboro officer during processional from Raleigh

Eddie Caldwell, the executive vice president and general counsel of the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association, didn’t know Sgt. Nix personally but says his killing affects police officers and deputies everywhere.

“Every day you go to work, you know that it could be you today,” he noted.

Investigators say Sgt. Nix was off duty on December 30, when he saw suspects trying to steal beer from a Sheetz convenience store.

“[He] could have, as an ordinary citizen, just walked away,” said Caldwell. “But because he was a law enforcement officer, he engaged the suspects who had committed that crime.”

Greensboro homeowner covers house in blue in honor of Sergeant Dale Nix

When Sgt. Nix approached the suspects, investigators say he was shot and killed.

It’s something Caldwell says weighs heavily on members of law enforcement, as they grieve a fellow officer and reflect on the risks of the job.

“That could happen to any officer at any time,” Caldwell said. “Officers are aware of that but take on the duty and the responsibility to protect all of their fellow citizens.”

Three people are charged in connection with Nix’s death including an 18-year-old, who is charged with first-degree murder.

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