(Washington) Three police officers were killed and five others injured in an exchange of fire Monday as they prepared to arrest a man in North Carolina, in the southeast of the United States, local authorities announced.
At least one suspect was found dead in the garden of the property after the officers returned fire, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police wrote on X, following a confrontation that lasted about three hours.
President Joe Biden expressed his “condolences and support,” the White House said.
The deaths of the three members of the security forces were confirmed by the Justice Department. Among the five officers injured by gunfire, one is in “critical condition,” local police said.
The police were greeted by gunfire when they intervened on a warrant targeting a man already convicted and then wanted for illegal possession of a firearm, Johnny Jennings, chief of the police, told the press. local police.
Law enforcement returned fire and fatally shot the suspect before encountering more gunfire coming from inside the house, Johnny Jennings added.
A 17-year-old boy and a woman were arrested, he said, referring to an “absolutely tragic day for the city of Charlotte and for the police profession”.
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said he was “distraught.”