Three Joplin police officers and an armed suspect were injured during exchanges of gunfire Tuesday afternoon, according to area news reports.
Detective Brian Lewis told The Joplin Globe that there were separate shooting scenes around the southwestern Missouri city that began with an encounter with an armed suspect around 1:22 p.m. The suspect allegedly engaged with two police officers, fired gunshots and fled to another area.
The suspect allegedly engaged with officers again at another location, where another officer and the suspect were wounded, Lewis told the news outlet.
The officers and suspect were taken to area hospitals with gunshot wounds. The medical conditions of the officers and the suspect were not immediately available, according to The Globe
The Missouri State Highway Patrol has been called in to assist with the investigation.
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