(Image source from: ABC30.com)

The man suspected to have shot and killed an Indian-origin police officer during a traffic stop in California on Wednesday was living illegally in the country, according to a media report.

The 33-year-old Corporal Ronil Singh, of the Newman Police Department, was shot and killed during the traffic stop.

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's department has identified a suspect but did not release his name.

The man suspected to have shot and killed a police officer during a traffic stop in Newman, California, was in the country illegally, Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson was quoted as saying by the FOX13.

"It's not appropriate for me to identify (the suspect) until we absolutely are 100 percent certain that we have the right name," Christianson added.

According to the surveillance images, the suspect is a broad and strongly built man with dark complexion, with closely cropped hair. He took off in a silver or gray extended-cab pickup truck, the police said.

The truck was recovered later Wednesday as investigators served a search warrant at an address near Newman, the sheriff's department said.

In photos provided by police, the suspect is wearing a hoodie and a thick silver chain around his neck.

The California Highway Patrol has described him as Hispanic.

President Donald Trump referred to the incident as the "time to get tough on border security."

"There is right now a full-scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer during a traffic stop. Time to get tough on Border Security. Build the Wall!" he tweeted.

A native of Fiji, Singh, was with the 12-member Newman Police Department since July 2011.

Police Chief Randy Richardson urged anyone with useful information to help investigators "get this cop killer off the streets."

"He was an American patriot," Richardson said. "He was not born in this country but came to this country for one purpose - to serve this country."

-Sowmya Sangam