ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque police have arrested a woman after a series of armed robberies. Police shot and killed her getaway driver in a busy Walmart parking lot Thursday.

It happened around noon at the Walmart near Wyoming and Menaul, and turned deadly when the getaway driver got a hold of an officer’s gun.

APD Chief Harold Medina says officers were in the area looking for a woman who was involved in a series of armed robberies when things took a turn. Officers found that woman, who they identified as Adriana Gonzales, with a man. The two eventually separated – that’s when police arrested Gonzales and waited for the man to come out of the Walmart.

When he came out, officers confronted him.

“The male subject grabbed a hold of one of the officer’s rifles as they were struggling with the male,” Medina said. “The male then started to discharge the officer’s rifle. We don’t know the exact count but we know, with civilians and officers around, wrestling this individual, we know multiple rounds were discharged by the rifle.”

Eventually other officers with handguns shot and killed the man. Chief Medina says they still have to review video, but given that it was a busy area with several shoppers around, he is thankful no one else was injured.

“It does appear the officer is trying to get the rifle back in the safe as the rifle is being discharged,” Medina said. “They are trying to hold his hand, preventing his finger from continuing to pull on the trigger.”

According to APD, Gonzales later admitted that the man was her getaway driver during the string of armed robberies.

Investigators also found a handgun when they removed the man’s body from the scene.

This is a developing story. Stay with KOB.com and KOB 4 Eyewitness News for updates.