Two police officers in Canada were killed while on duty after they responded to a domestic dispute.
Edmonton police officers Travis Jordan, 35, and Brett Ryan, 30, responded to a “family dispute” in the Inglewood neighbourhood at around 1am MDT, police chief Dale McFee said during a press conference on Thursday.
“[They] went inside the building, approached the suite, and were shot by a young male suspect,” Mr McFee said.
Fellow officers transported Jordan and Brett Ryan to the hospital but they were pronounced deceased shortly after. A female was also taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and has since been stabilised, Agence France-Presse reported.
The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to law enforcement.
“At this time, all indications are they did not have a chance to discharge their firearms,” he added. “These [officers] were doing their job. This is unthinkable. It’s not imaginable. It’s horrific. It’s a tragedy.”
Responding to the tragic news, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “Every day, police officers put themselves in harm’s way to keep people safe.”
“The news that two @EdmontonPolice officers have been killed in the line of duty reminds us of that reality. I’m sending my condolences to the officers’ loved ones and colleagues – we’re here for you.”
Jordan was an eight-year veteran with the department, while Ryan had been with the law enforcement agency for five and a half years, The Seattle Times reported.
According to Reuters, police officer deaths in Canada are relatively uncommon, with a total of five in 2022. The Edmonton Police Service previously experienced an officer death in 2015, when Constable Daniel Woodall was shot through a door as he attempted to enter a residence.