3 officers shot in Washington while attempting to make an animal cruelty arrest

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three police officers were shot in Washington during an attempted animal cruelty arrest that touched off an hourslong standoff Wednesday. It isn’t immediately clear whether the gunman was the subject of the arrest warrant. The Metropolitan Police Department says the officers suffered injuries to their hands and feet. The shooter remains barricaded inside a home hours after opening fire on police. Several roads in the area are closed and schools are locked down in the nation’s capital. The incident comes as the District of Columbia is struggling with a sharp rise in violent crime, which went up 39% in 2023. The increase was largely fueled by a rise in homicides and carjackings.