BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Police in Louisiana say that several officers have been shot in Baton Rouge while on duty.
The shooting happened early Sunday, less than 1 mile from police headquarters.
Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola did not know the extent of the injuries or give the precise number of officers injured. He says they were rushed to a local hospital.
He said that authorities believe the "scene is contained," meaning that a shooter was unlikely on the loose.
Police-community relations in Baton Rouge have been especially tense since the killing of 37-year-old Alton Sterling, a black man killed by white officers earlier this month after a scuffle at a convenience store. The killing was captured on cellphone video and circulated widely on the internet.
Conflicting reports as to how many officers shot, most saying 7 shot.
BATON ROUGE – Police have closed streets between Baton Rouge Police Headquarters and I-12 where law enforcement officers have been shot.
Sources say two Baton Rouge Police officers and one East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office deputy are dead following the shooting. Another officer was critically injured.
A witness told WBRZ News 2, a man was dressed in black with his face covered shooting indiscriminately when he walked out between a convenience store and car wash across from Hammond Air Plaza. Shots were fired around 9 a.m. Sunday.
A very large manhunt began immediately with officers hurrying to "contain" the scene.
Both lanes of Airline Highway were shut down from Goodwood to Old Hammond and from Old Hammond to Drusilla Drive. LA DOTD confirmed the closures were related to police presence in the area.
There is limited information available. A police spokesperson was not ready to release specifics.
Video of shots being heard in background.
.@ABC Special Report: Baton Rouge Mayor reports at least 2 officers dead, several injured https://t.co/B0bSoIQV5I https://t.co/Bt1FH1Gsn9
— ABC News (@ABC) July 17, 2016
Reports shooter dead, but scene not secure because they are checking for explosives. Mayor says he believes it was an "ambush".
Update:
Scanners reporting 3 shooters, 1 shooter down.
More shots reported fired…
Update:
Officials have confirmed that three law enforcement officers have died and several others were injured during an early morning shooting on Airline Highway near Old Hammond Highway in Baton Rouge. They also say one suspect is dead and believe two others may still be at large.
Local news livestream here.
Our Lady Of The Lake Hospital confirming 3 officers dead, 2 injured, one in critical condition, the other in fair condition at their facility.
Update:
One suspect dead, another reportedly in a standoff situation with police, the third not accounted for as yet. Witness reported one suspect dressed like military in 'sniper-type' gear.
Update:
Police had arrested several people last week in Baton Rouge in a plot to attack police officers. It is not clear if that is related to this incident at this time.
One other officer was brought to Baton Rouge General Hospital.
Update:
Two men detained in Addis for going into a Walmart, being dressed in black, and changing their clothes there. They were reported to police, who caught them and are now questioning them.
Update:
One of officers killed, identified by his cousin. This is Officer Montrell Jackson and his son. Baton Rouge police have an appreciable number of officers who are black, so if you're trying to set up an ambush to kill officers, you may very well get black officers. Apparently black lives(if they were cops) didn't matter to these killers.
Update:
Video taken by witness at scene of shooting (warning for language)
Update:
Suspect black male, Gavin Eugene Long, 29 years old, born July 17, 1987, today was his birthday. He had been a Marine.
HT: Joe Joe