Police say the rookie officer fired once.  Sources describe her as a petite woman who was just stopping at a friend’s house that morning.  She barely had time to get out of her car when police say the suspect closed in on her. 

"The male indicated he had a weapon by reaching into his waistband ...The off-duty officer, fearing for her life, fired one shot at the male suspect, striking him once in the chest," explained George Dixon with MPD Internal Affairs. 

Neighbors living in the area tell ABC7 they heard one gunshot early Tuesday morning, and all morning, several officers and a K-9 unit swarmed the area looking for clues and evidence. 

Police would not tell us whether the alleged robber actually had a gun, but sources say the suspect has a long rap sheet for committing robberies.  He was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery. 

The off-duty officer had only been on the street a matter of months, as a police spokesman confirms she joined the department last year.  As for the neighborhood where it happened, several homicides have occurred in the area recently. 

One resident says the area is known for drug dealing, though not so much for robbery. 

Sources describe the suspect as taller than six feet, and say the uninjured female officer was shaken up after the incident.