Hesston, Kansas Police Chief ID'd as Cop Who Took Down Gunman

— -- The cop billed as a hero after running toward a hail of gunfire in Hesston, Kansas, and taking down an armed shooter was none other than the city police chief, according to county and state officials.

Hesston Police Chief Doug Schroeder single-handedly took on the gunman identified by authorities as Cedric Ford, the officials said.

Ford allegedly fired in two different locations Thursday, striking two people, before driving to his place of work, Excel Industries in Hesston, where he shot someone in the parking lot and then entered the building and unleashed bullets.

"There was a hail of gunfire," Harvey County District Attorney David Yoder said of the shooting at Excel. "The suspect was shooting at Doug and he went in without regard for his own life.

"There's no better definition of a hero.”

Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton Thursday described the involved officer, who was not named at the time, as a “hero, as far as I’m concerned.”

The Hesston Police Department did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Schroeder exchanged gunfire with Ford at Excel, killing him at 5:24 p.m. -- about 24 minutes after the first of the three shootings occurred -- authorities said.

Walton said today, before Schroeder was identified, that Ford would have kept shooting if an officer had not stopped him.

Three victims were killed at Excel and the series of shootings left 14 people in the hospital.