Police officers killed in house shooting spree

Published on Saturday 4 April 2009 19:56

THREE police officers were shot dead yesterday while responding to reports of a domestic incident.

A man opened fire on the police officers attending a domestic disturbance call in Pittsburgh, US, killing three of them, before barricading himself in the home.

A police spokeswoman said the man who fired at the officers has been arrested after a stand-off lasting several hours. She said at least five officers were wounded.

One witness reported hearing hundreds of shots.

Last night friends and neighbours revealed how the incident had unfolded. Edward Perkovic, a 22-year-old who was the gunman's best friend, revealed he received a call at work from him in which he said: "Eddie, I am going to die today. Tell your family I love them and I love you."

Perkovic said: "I heard gunshots and he hung up."

The officers were called to the home in the city's Stanton Heights neighbourhood at about 7am local time.

Tom Moffitt, 51, a firefighter who lives two blocks away, said he heard about the shooting on his scanner and came to the scene, where he heard "hundreds of shots".

Another neighbour Rob Gift, 45, who lives a block away, said he heard rapid gunfire as he was letting his dog out. He said the neighbourhood of well-kept family houses and manicured lawns is home to many police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other city workers. "It's just a very quiet neighbourhood," Gift said.

The incident follows a number of high-profile shootings in the United States in the past month.

A gunman killed 13 people in a shooting rampage inside an immigrant community centre on Friday. The man, who opened fire at the American Civic Association community centre, in Binghamton, New York, was said to be depressed and angry over losing his job.