US police officer critically injured in shooting

A Maryland police officer was critically wounded in the shooting. Photo / iStock

Police in Maryland say a police officer was critically wounded in a shooting, and one suspect is in custody.

The shooting occurred Sunday afternoon (Monday NZ time) outside the Landover police station in Prince George's County, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Police had initially posted a message on Twitter asking residents to avoid the area and to stay inside because of a possible "active shooter" situation. It was unclear whether police were still looking for other suspects .

The wounded officer was taken to Prince George's Hospital Center. Other details weren't immediately released by police, who said in an email that all updates were being released on Twitter for the time being.

The suspect wasn't immediately identified.

The Maryland State Highway Administration later tweeted that some major routes in the area were reopening with delays expected.