BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – At least several on-duty law enforcement officers were shot in Baton Rouge on Sunday morning, authorities said. The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.
The shooting – which happened just before 9 a.m., less than 1 mile from police headquarters – comes amid spiraling tensions across the city – and the country – between the black community and police. The races of the suspect or suspects and the officers were not immediately known.
Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola told The Associated Press that he did not know the extent of the injuries or give the precise number of officers injured. He said they were rushed to a local hospital. Coppola said authorities are asking people to stay away from the area. He did not say if any of the officers had died.
Multiple police units were stationed at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, where the stricken officers were believed to be undergoing treatment at a trauma center. A police officer with a long gun was blocking the parking lot at the emergency room.
Officers and deputies from the Baton Rouge Police Department and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office were involved, according to Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.