One police officer was killed and three others hospitalised following a shooting in small west Texas town.
The violence unfolded as law enforcement became embroiled in a standoff with a man barricaded inside a house in Levelland, Texas.
The death of Sergeant Josh Bartlett, the SWAT leader of Lubbock County Sherif’s Office, was announced by the Justice of the Peace and Constables Association of Texas.
Two other officers, one a Hockley County Officer and the other a Levelland police officer, remain in critical condition.
Levelland police were called at 1.12pm after a report of a possibly armed man.
When officers arrived at the home the situation reportedly escalated and the suspect barricaded himself inside the property and began shooting.
“At this time, local law enforcement is dealing with a barricaded subject in the 1100 block of 10th Street, between Ave J & Ave I,” the Levelland Police Department said on social media.
“There are three wounded Levelland Police Officers. All have been transported to Lubbock.
“Other agencies, including Hockley County Sheriff’s Office, DPS and Lubbock SWAT, are onsite. Please avoid this area, and allow law enforcement to keep the area secure.”
The nearby Covenant Health Levelland hospital went into lockdown because it is close to the incident, a spokesperson confirmed.
“We are aware of an incident that occurred near Covenant Health Levelland earlier this afternoon,” said a statement from Covenant Health.
“As a precaution, we locked down the hospital to ensure the safety of our patients, caregivers, and visitors. We will remain under lockdown until any threat is clear.
We have deployed Covenant security officers to the Levelland hospital as an additional security measure. We are supporting our community and law enforcement officers in Levelland and are keeping the Levelland community and the injured officers in our prayers.”
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