Officers near Reykjavik shot and killed a man who had opened fire on them Monday, the first fatality in armed police action in the 210-year-long history of law enforcement there,
the Irish Times reported.
Responding to reports that a 59-year-old man had been discharging a weapon in his apartment, police first used tear gas in an attempt to gain his surrender,
the BBC reported.
The attempts were unsuccessful, and the suspect continued shooting.
Eventually, police and special forces stormed the apartment. Two special-forces officers were shot and wounded, one in the hand, the other in the face.
The suspect, also wounded in the exchange of gunfire, died shortly after arriving at a local hospital.
"Police regret this incident and would like to extend their condolences to the family of the man," national police chief Haraldur Johannessen said. Authorities said counseling is being provided to special-forces team members.
With a population of approximately 322,000, Iceland has one of the world’s lowest crime rates.
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