Canada: 2 police officers shot in line of duty in Edmonton

Police reported on Thursday that two police officers were shot dead in the line of duty in Edmonton City in Canada's western Alberta province.

The Edmonton Police Service in a statement said that it was "mourning the loss of two of its patrol officers who were killed in the line of duty, while responding to a call."

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered condolences to the families and colleagues of the officers in a tweet.

"Every day, police officers put themselves in harm's way to keep people safe. The news that two Edmonton police officers have been killed in the line of duty reminds us of that reality." The Prime Minister wrote on his twitter page.

Police responding to domestic disturbance

The officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call around Thursday lunchtime near the Inglewood residential neighborhood, Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee said at a press conference soon after the initial announcement. 

McFee said the presumed suspect was also dead, apparently from a self-inflicted wound. The woman who had called the police, who he said was related to the suspect, was meanwhile taken to hospital and was in a serious but stable condition. 

McFee said the responding officers had not been able, based on preliminary indications, to fire any shots of their own. 

He said the two officers were aged 35 and 30, and had been on the force for more than eight and more than five years, respectively. 

"I can't tell you how devastated we are with their loss," McFee said. 

The Edmonton Police Commission canceled a public meeting in response to the deaths.

Police services in Calgary, Vancouver, the Greater Toronto Area and Halifax express conveyed condolences on Twitter.

Recently, Canada has witnessed several unusually violent shooting crimes. Shootings remain much rarer in Canada compared to the United States.

dmn/msh (AP, AFP)