PARIS, 23 December, 2020, (TON): Three French police officers were shot dead by a man when they arrived at a home in Saint-Just, a remote village in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in central France, to respond to a domestic violence call, police said on Wednesday.

A man who allegedly shot three police officers dead has now been found dead, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday.

Police approached the house shortly after midnight and were hit by gunfire as they attempted to rescue a woman, local media reported.

The man initially shot and killed one officer and wounded another. Two other officers were then shot dead, according to the Clermont-Ferrand prosecutor’s office.

The woman, who was the reported victim of domestic violence, sought refuge on the roof of the house and was rescued safely by police.

A fourth officer was also injured in the shooting. The 48-year-old shooter had set fire to his house, according to Darmanin.

The three gendarme officers killed in the incident were aged 21, 37, and 45, the ministry said in a statement.

President Macron expressed solidarity with France’s police force.