By Brad Brooks
(Reuters) -Three law enforcement officers were killed and another four were shot and wounded in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a suspect was found dead, police said on Monday.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department chief Johnny Jennings said at a press conference that the three officers who were killed were part of a U.S. Marshall’s Task Force, comprised of officers from multiple agencies.
“Today is an absolute tragic day for the city of Charlotte and for the profession of law enforcement,” Jennings said. “Today we lost some heroes who were out to just keep our community safe.”
The officers who were killed were attempting to serve a warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. They arrived at a residence where the suspect was located and he began firing on the officers, Jennings said. They returned fire, and the suspect was killed in the front yard.
The officers then took gunfire from inside of the house. After a tense standoff, a SWAT team cleared the house and took two people who were inside into custody. Jennings said it is believed at least one of them had fired on the officers.
In addition to the three officers killed, Jennings said four members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department who responded to the scene were shot. One officer is in critical condition, the other three are stable.
(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Longmont, Colorado; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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