RAYMOND, Miss. -- Police said a Jackson officer has died after an altercation with an escaped inmate Friday night.

Jackson Police Department Assistant Chief Lee Vance said Latwan Smith was in custody when he escaped from the squad car. He had been arrested on several charges, including domestic violence and pointing and aiming a gun.

Police said they believe Smith escaped from the cruiser that Officer Glen Agee, 31, and his partner were riding in, and then shot Agee with his own service weapon in the woods off Highway 18.

Police said while the officers were on their way to the Raymond Detention Center, they cracked a window for Smith because he said he needed air. Police said, somehow, Smith managed to slide his handcuffed hands out the window and open the police car door.

He ran into the woods off Highway 18, and the officers followed.

Police found Smith about 45 minutes after he escaped. His handcuffs were still on, but somehow he had gotten them to the front of his body, they said.

Later, they found Agee with gunshot wounds to his face, police said.

"The wooded area was very, very dark," Vance said. "The area adjacent was very, very dark. Where the officer was found was very, very dark."

Agee was airlifted to University Medical Center, where he died, police said. The 31-year-old Collins native had a Precinct 1 officer with the JPD for only two months, Vance said.

"These officers put their lives on the line each and every day, and this is just a tragic loss," Vance said.

Mayor Harvey Johnson issued a statement on the incident Saturday morning.

"This is truly a sad day for the City of Jackson," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Officer Agee. Officer Agee's death will certainly be felt by the many colleagues and friends in the police department and across the city of Jackson. Each and every day, our police officers put their lives on the line. Even something that can appear routine oftentimes can be very dangerous and could end in tragedy."

Smith was charged with capital murder.

Agee's partner was not injured, and police have not released his name. Police said they're still looking for Agee's gun.