Three law enforcement officers serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and five other officers were wounded Monday in a shootout at a home in Charlotte, North Carolina, police said.
The officers were first shot at as they approached the suburban home, and then they fired at a suspect in the front yard, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said. He said after that man fell, more shots were fired at them from inside the home.
A suspect was found dead in the front yard and two other people were found in the home after a three-hour standoff and are being questioned, Jennings said. Authorities said two shooters were involved in the attack.
The shooting broke out at about 1 p.m., prompting a massive law enforcement response as police cars and ambulances raced to the neighborhood and shut down surrounding streets. Gunfire continued for several minutes after the initial shooting.
Multiple victims were taken to hospitals and the gunfire continued at the scene for several minutes. A SWAT team was in the neighborhood on the east side of the city, police said.
Authorities did not say exactly how many officers were struck by gunfire. WSOC-TV said their helicopter captured an armored vehicle driving through yards and knocking over recycling bins before officers removed a person with blood on their shirt who was then loaded into an ambulance.
Many roads in the area were closed so ambulances could get to hospitals faster. Police urged people to stay away from the neighborhood and asked residents to remain inside their homes.
Fugitive task forces are collaborations between agencies to find and arrest suspects in crimes. The Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force is headquartered in Charlotte with 70 federal, state and local agencies.
In six years, the regional task force has apprehend more than 8,900 fugitives, the U.S. Marshals Service said on its website.
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