USA: 2 suspects dead in Houston's Hardy Street shooting

Local authorities have revealed that two suspects have died, while five police officers are wounded due to the exchange of gunfire at a residence on Hardy Street here on Monday.

The shooting ensued after police officials served a search warrant for a house, out of which black tar heroin was allegedly being sold.

Five police officers from the Narcotics division of the Houston Police Department have been wounded due to the "gun battle". "No officers have died," Chief of the Houston Police Department, Art Acevedo confirmed, adding that the wounded officers have been taken to the Memorial Hermann Medical Center.

 "Around 4:15 PM a Narcotics team of the Houston Police Department...tried to serve a search warrant on the location at Hardy Street. Immediately upon breaching the door, the officers came under fire from one or two suspects at the house," he said while mentioning that authorities were not sure about the number of suspects who fired at the officers.

Out of the injured, four police officers were struck by gunfire, and one officer only sustained injuries. While one wounded officer will be discharged by Monday night (local time), two personnel who were shot in the neck have been taken for surgery and are in a critical but stable condition. The other two officers will be kept at the medical facility under observation for the next 24 hours and are expected to make a full recovery.

"Two suspects were struck by returning gunfire by the Houston Police Department. They were pronounced dead at the scene. SWAT responded with other allied agencies," the police chief also announced.

"This has been a tough day for our city. I encourage all Houstonians to pray for our police officers who were shot today. One will be discharged tonight, thank goodness. Pray for their families, too!" Sylvester Turner, the Mayor of Houston, Texas said at the press briefing.

The Houston Fire Department immediately responded to the scene and helped in transporting the wounded officers to the medical facility.

-ANI