Three police officers shot dead in France

A gunman has shot dead three police officers who were called to a domestic violence incident in central France.

Officials said the suspect, said to be known to authorities on child custody issues, was later found dead

A woman had fled to the roof of a house in the remote village of Saint-Just in the early hours of today.

The gunman killed one officer and wounded another. He then set fire to the house and killed two more officers who arrived.

Elite tactical police officers and firefighters remain at the scene in the village in the Puy-De-Dôme department, in France’s Massif Central mountain region.

The mayor of Saint-Just, François Chautard, told Le Figaro that the house had burned down and officers had been trying to determine whether the suspect was still inside or had escaped.

But interior minister Gérald Darmanin later confirmed the suspect had been found dead.

He said the deaths showed once more the risks that police officers were exposed to in their daily duties.