RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Authorities in South Carolina are in mourning after seven law enforcement officers were shot yesterday in Florence, S.C. One of those officers has died. NPR's James Doubek has more.
JAMES DOUBEK, BYLINE: Local officials say Terrence Carraway was killed in the line of duty. He's one of four city police officers and three sheriff's deputies who were shot Wednesday while trying to serve a search warrant. Allen Heidler, the police chief in Florence, a city of 33,000, was visibly distraught as he praised the police force.
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ALLEN HEIDLER: Pray for these officers and their speedy recovery. Pray for the family who lost the bravest police officer that I have ever known.
DOUBEK: Carraway had been an officer for 30 years. The shooting started when investigators with the sheriff's office arrived with a warrant at a subdivision in Florence County. The sheriff's office says a man barricaded himself and an unknown number of children inside the house and opened fire. Police from the city rushed to help. But the shooter engaged those officers, too.
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HEIDLER: They were responding to the scene of an incident where they knew that their brothers from the sheriff's office - their brothers and sisters from the sheriff's office were in need.
DOUBEK: The standoff lasted about two hours. It became so intense that police had to use a bullet-resistant vehicle to remove wounded officers from the scene. Police did not name the shooting suspect but say he is in custody, and the children are safe. The sheriff's office says a 20-year-old man was also shot and wounded inside the home. Officials wouldn't say why sheriff's deputies wanted to search the residence.
Calls for prayer came from all around. Governor Henry McMaster called the officers' actions selfless acts of bravery. President Trump also offered his thoughts and prayers. Florence Mayor Stephen Wukela says the city is safe because of the work that police do every day.
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STEPHEN WUKELA: And you are safe because of those officers and deputies who are willing and have been willing and are - continue to be willing to put their self in harm's way.
DOUBEK: Police haven't given details on the status of the wounded officers.
James Doubek, NPR News.
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