CNN
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On Wednesday, three Los Angeles Police Department officers were injured in a shootout during a confrontation with a suspect who was later pronounced dead, officials said.
Police were in the Lincoln Heights area of Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon looking for a parolee at large when they found the suspect in a barn, LAPD Commander Stacey Spell said.
The suspect refused the officers’ order to get out, police said, and the police used the chemical to try to force the man into submission.
“The suspect reacted to this chemical by opening the barn and opening fire on the police,” Spell said.
Three officers, referred to as senior K-9 officers, were shot and taken to hospital, where they are said to be in stable condition, according to LA Police Assistant Chief Alfred Labrada.
During the clash, at least one officer returned fire, Labrada said, but how many officers fired and how many shots were fired remain under investigation.
A citywide tactical alert was issued and a SWAT team combed the area for the suspect.
According to Spell, the unidentified suspect was later found unconscious by paramedics and pronounced dead. It is unclear how the suspect died.
As the standoff unfolded, aerial footage from the scene showed a severe police response in the Lincoln Heights area.
“Every day, the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department put themselves in danger,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a press conference. “Tonight is a reminder that the danger is very real. I am relieved and thankful that these three brave officers are in stable condition and able to speak to two of them when I just checked on them.”
Officials on the police union’s board of directors said the officers were on “the road to full physical recovery.”
“While we believe they will recover physically, each of these officers will live with the memory of nearly dying at the hands of a wanted fugitive in a hail of gunfire,” the LAPD Defense League Council said in a statement.
The shooting was a reminder of the dangers officers face every day, the council said.