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In central France, after an emergency call about a woman being threatened by her husband over child custody, three police officers were shot dead and a fourth was injured.
The officers responded to reports of an incident of domestic violence in a small village near the town of Saint-Just, west of Lyon, and the Department of Puy-de-Dôme.
As French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter on Wednesday, the man suspected of carrying out the attack on police officers was found dead.
An investigating source said, “It is believed that he shot himself,”
The officers who died were named by Mr Darmanin as Brig Arno Mavel, 21, Lt Cyrille Morel, 45, and Adjutant Rémi Dupuis, 37.
“Following an emergency call, two officers approached a house just after midnight,” the investigating source said.
A woman screamed for help on the roof, and when two gendarmes approached, a man opened fire, killing an officer instantly.
Another was struck in the thigh and rushed to the hospital, where he died later. Then more officers arrived, and a man set the house on fire.
“The woman managed to escape, but then more shooting took place, killing another gendarme and injuring a fourth.”
On Twitter, President Emmanuel Macron said police officers were the “heroes” of the nation.
In a statement, the fourth officer, who reportedly had been shot in the leg, had no life-threatening injuries, the Ministry said.
The suspect, who has not been named, is aged 48 and is known to have been involved in a custody fight with his wife, who is also unidentified.
On Twitter, Mr. Darmanin also paid tribute to the officers who were killed.
He said, “The nation bows down in the face of their bravery and commitment.” Everything has been done to find the person responsible for these acts.”
