Six US cops injured in attacks

WASHINGTON: Six US police officers were shot in one night in the states of Florida and Pennsylvania, one fatally, prompting President Donald Trump to tweet his support for the slain officer’s department early on Saturday.

In the central Florida city of Kissimmee -- close to the Walt Disney World Resort and other amusement parks -- Officer Matthew Baxter was killed and Sergeant Sam Howard was left in "grave critical condition and the prognosis does not look good," police chief Jeff O’Dell said at a news conference early on Saturday.

The officers had been checking on suspicious people in an area known for drug activity around 9:30 pm on Friday (0130 GMT on Saturday). Five minutes later, authorities received a call that officers had been shot.

First responders found the officers "gravely wounded" in the road, O’Dell said.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the @KissimmeePolice and their loved ones. We are with you!" Trump, a staunch supporter of US law enforcement, tweeted early on Saturday. In the northern Florida city of Jacksonville, sheriff’s officers responding to an attempted suicide call late Friday were confronted by a suspect firing a high-powered rifle, Director Mike Bruno told a news conference.