Three Los Angeles officers stable after confrontation, gunman dead

Three Los Angeles police officers were in stable condition on Thursday after they were shot during a confrontation with a suspect who was later found dead at the scene, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said.

The situation began at about 4 p.m. (midnight GMT) on Wednesday when officers responded to a call in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood, where they conducted a search for a suspect on parole who was wanted by authorities, Los Angeles Assistant Police Chief Alfred Labrada said at a news briefing.

During their investigation, officers found the suspect, who refused to comply with their commands, Labrada said. After the officers called for K9 units, the suspect barricaded himself in a garage, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The suspect opened fire on the officers, who used gas to get him to comply with their orders, striking three of them.

The three officers, who were not identified by police, were rushed to hospital where they were in stable condition, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, noting she had spoken to two of them.

"Every day, the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department put themselves in harm's way. Tonight is a reminder that the danger is very real," she said.

The unidentified suspect was found unresponsive and pronounced deceased at the scene, the Los Angeles Police Department said on Twitter.