2 police officers reported shot dead in Des Moines, Iowa, in ambush-style attacks

Two police officers shot dead in Des Moines, Iowa

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last updated 2 November 2016

Early Wednesday, the Des Moines Police Department said that two officers, one from Des Moines and the other from the Urbandale Police Department, were shot dead in the early morning hours in what police describe as "ambush-style attacks." The Urbandale officer was found shot in his patrol car at about 1:06 a.m., and about 20 minutes after the Des Moines police were dispatched to aid, the second officer was found shot in his car about two miles away. Both officers have died.

"They clearly were just seated in their cars when they were shot," Des Moines police spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek told The Washington Post. "The best they can tell from the scene there was no interaction between them and whoever did this." No suspect has yet been identified. (This article has been updated.)

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.