3 police officers dead, 3 others injured in Baton Rouge shooting

Three officers have been confirmed dead and three others wounded after a shooting in Baton Rouge, a sheriff's office spokeswoman said Sunday. One suspect is dead, the police are engaged in a standoff situation with one while one other person is still at large, Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, said in a statement.

The shooting which happened just before 9 a.m. central time in the US, less than 1 mile from police headquarters, comes amid tensions across the city and the country between the black community and police.

An audio report of the police scanner asking for backup and saying policer officers have been shot has been released.

The races of the suspect or suspects and the officers were not immediately known.

The suspect in the standoff situation is said to be wearing all black, with a mask over their face and holding a long gun.