3 French Police Officers Shot Dead While Attending Domestic Violence Call

Three French Police Officials were shot dead when they arrived at a home in a remote village in Central France, to respond to a domestic violence call.

The shooting occurred in Puy-de-Dome, in the early hours of Wednesday, CNN reported. The suspect, a 48-year-old man, was later found dead, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed on Twitter.

In his statement, the minister expressed "deep regret" in the deaths of Lieutenant Cyril Morel, Warrant Officer Rémi Dupuis, and Brigadier Arno Mavel. "The nation bows down before their courage and commitment," he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron too paid tributes to the deceased officers. "To protect us, our forces act putting their lives at risk. They are our heroes," Macron wrote on Twitter.

The three gendarme officers, killed in the incident, were aged 21, 37, and 45. A fourth officer, who was wounded in the thigh, did not have life-threatening injuries, the police said.

The incident happened when they tried to rescue a woman who had taken refuge on the roof of a house, following a domestic violence incident. Though the suspect set the house on fire, the woman could be rescued, the report added. The house was destroyed by the fire. Firefighters had to work tirelessly to douse the flame.

Though the suspect was found dead in his car, it is not immediately clear how he died or where the car was located. The police had earlier launched a manhunt to locate him. A rapid-response unit was deployed besides reinforcements to seal off the area.

At least seven elite tactical police officers remained on-site, France 24 reported. The gunman is said to be known to authorities for charges relating to child custody issues.

Recently, France had witnessed growing resentment between the police and people in the country when a protest against a draft bill spilled on to the streets.

The bill prohibited taking and sharing photos of police "with malevolent intent." Protestors think this would make it difficult to document police brutality. The protests intensified when footage showing a white policeman beating a Black music producer leaked. In response to the protests, Macaron had said "some officers" were violent and "must be punished."