(CNN) Three Los Angeles Police Department officers were wounded Wednesday in a standoff with a suspect who was later pronounced dead, officials said.
Police were searching for a parolee in Los Angeles’ Lincoln Heights neighborhood Wednesday afternoon when they found the suspect inside a shed, LAPD Commander Stacey Spell said.
The suspect refused officers’ orders to come out, and police used a chemical agent to try to get the man to comply.
“The suspect responded to the chemical agent, opened the shed and opened fire on the officers,” Spell said.
Three officers — described as veteran K-9 officers — were shot and taken to an area hospital, where they were listed in stable condition, LAPD Assistant Chief Alfred LaBrada said.
During the confrontation, at least one officer fired shots, according to LaBrada, but how many officers fired and how many shots were fired remains under investigation.
A citywide tactical alert was declared, and a SWAT team cordoned off the area in search of the suspect.
The suspect — who has not been identified — later became unresponsive and was pronounced dead by paramedics, Spell said. It is unknown how the suspect died.
As the standoff unfolded, aerial footage from the scene showed a large police response in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood.
“Every day, the men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department put themselves in harm’s way,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference. “Tonight is a reminder that the danger is very real. With all three of these brave officers in stable condition, I am relieved and grateful to have been able to speak with two of them as I checked in now.”
CNN’s Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
