Three Washington police officers shot while trying to arrest animal abusers

WASHINGTON: Three police officers were shot and a fourth officer was slightly injured in Washington on Wednesday morning while trying to arrest someone for animal cruelty.

Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said the three officers suffered gunshot wounds to their hands and feet. They are being treated at area hospitals, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. A fourth officer was injured at the scene but was not shot.

A police spokesman said the gunman remained trapped inside a house in the city’s southeast and continued shooting hours after opening fire on police.

Officers attempted to arrest the suspect on an animal cruelty warrant, but the suspect refused to leave the home, police said. As police tried to get inside, one person opened fire.

“This continues to be an active situation and the individual continues to fire shots from the location,” Smith said.

Smith said crisis negotiators were speaking with suspects and she urged lawmakers to pass legislation that would strengthen penalties for gun crimes in the capital.

The police union confirmed three of its members were shot dead. It was unclear whether the person who fired at police was the subject of an outstanding warrant.

Roads were closed in the city’s southeast, schools were cordoned off, and police warned people to stay away from the area at the time of the shooting.

The incident comes as the District of Columbia grapples with a sharp increase in violent crime, which increased 39% in 2023. This was driven primarily by a 35% increase in homicides and an increase in carjackings, which nearly doubled.

“This shooting is yet another heart-wrenching and painful reminder of the toll gun violence is taking on families, our communities and, of course, our country,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. She Said President Joe Biden is praying for the officers’ full recovery and calling on Congress to take more action on guns.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from Yonhap News Agency-The Associated Press)