By Associated Press
HYATTSVILLE, Md. — Three police officers who were shot while responding to a call Sunday evening in Maryland were ambushed, authorities said.
“Within seconds of arriving, they were under fire,” Prince George’s County Interim Police Chief Hector Velez told reporters at a news conference Sunday night.
The officers were responding to a reported home invasion about 6:30 p.m. at an address in Hyattsville, a city about 32 miles (52 kilometers) southwest of Baltimore, police said.
Two of the three officers shot were “saved” by their vests, Velez said. One officer was struck in the chest and had injuries to an arm and a leg. Another officer was shot in the back. The third officer was wounded in the foot.
The officers returned gunfire, and two men were in custody. The men were not injured, police said.
Velez also said the officers provided themselves with “self-care” after being shot, which allowed them to be transported to a hospital for further treatment.