Daijiworld Media Network - New York

New York, Aug 30: A police officer was killed and another injured in a shooting at a park in Columbia, South Carolina, police said. The suspect also died in the incident.

The shooting occurred at Southeast Park on Hazelwood Road when two officers responded to a reported domestic dispute, Columbia Police Department Chief W.H. “Skip” Holbrook said at a press conference, reports Xinhua news agency.

The officer killed in the line of duty was identified as Chris DeLong, 29, according to Holbrook.

Another officer, David Dymock, was also shot and injured but remained in stable condition, the police chief said.

“Our hearts are broken this evening,” Holbrook said during a news conference on Saturday evening. “Together under the worst circumstances you can possibly imagine, we’re deeply hurt.”

Police said the scene was secured around noon local time and urged the public to avoid the area as investigations continued.

The last Columbia police officer to be shot and killed in the line of duty was Lieutenant Philip George Schlatterer on July 25, 1974, more than 50 years ago, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

Earlier this month, one person was killed and four others injured in a shooting at a park in Lexington, Kentucky, according to local media reports citing police.

Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said the shooting took place at Charles Young Park in downtown Lexington, where five people were shot.

The injured included a 4-year-old child, a 14-year-old and two adults. All were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries, Weathers said.

A large police presence remained in downtown Lexington, with several surrounding roads closed as officers continued their investigation.

In a separate incident earlier, five people were injured in a shooting at Virginia State University, prompting a temporary lockdown on the campus, the university said.