Three police officers in central France were shot dead after responding to a domestic violence call. The man that shot the officers - and injured a fourth - fled the crime scene but was later found dead.
The three officers responded to a call in Puy-de-Dôme just west of Lyon on Wednesday. After they were gunned down, the man escaped. This led to an hourslong hunt for the suspect.
The country's Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin later posted on social media that the shooter was "found dead." Darmanin also expressed his "deep sadness" for the death of the officers.
The three officers that were killed were identified as Lieutenant Cyrille Morel, Warrant Officer Rémi Dupuis, and brigadier Arno Mavel, of the Puy-de-Dôme Departmental Gendarmerie. A fourth officer was also shot in the thigh. He was taken to the hospital and he is expected to make a full recovery.
Lieutenant Morel and Officer Dupuis were fatally shot, while brigadier Mavel was seriously wounded and eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Local media reports said that the shooter was a 48-year-old man who was chasing a woman - believed to be his wife. The woman took refuge on the roof of a house, which the man attempted to light on fire. Police had arrived on the scene, which led to a firefight.
"Called upon to intervene to help a woman who had been beaten by her husband, the gendarmes (officers), in circumstances that have yet to be clarified, were shot at by the man and returned fire," the interior minister said.
Reports said that the woman has been rescued and is now being questioned. The exact cause of death of the shooter has not yet been determined or made public. Authorities are still investigating the incident.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on social media that the entire country is grieving for the officers that perished as the tragedy has "affected us all."
