According to authorities, three police officers were killed this Monday in a shootout during an operation to apprehend a fugitive, who also died, which took place in Charlotte (North Carolina, USA).

In addition to the dead, there are five more police officers who received gunshot wounds, one of them is in critical condition, and two suspects have been detained.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. local time as a team of U.S. Marshals Service agents prepared to execute an arrest warrant for a fugitive for illegal weapons possession.

“As they approached the individual, they were met with gunfire,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings explained at a news conference.

The police shot the fugitive in the yard of the house, but “received more shots” from inside.

The shooting killed three sheriff’s deputies and wounded five other officers (another sheriff’s deputy and four local Charlotte police officers).

After a “lengthy standoff,” police arrested two people at the house.

“We’re currently trying to determine what exactly happened inside the residence,” Jennings said. EFE