A man has been shot by armed police following a double stabbing.
Officers were called to a report that a man and a woman had been stabbed in the Tobruk Road area of Huyton, near Liverpool, at 4.25pm on Wednesday.
Armed response officers attended, and the suspect was shot by police marksmen.
He has been taken to hospital for treatment.
The man and woman who were assaulted have also been taken to hospital where their condition is described as serious but stable.
Police said an investigation is under way to establish the circumstances of the incident and the road was cordoned off.
Officers remained at the scene and were carrying out house-to-house and CCTV inquiries.
The force said it has notified the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), as is standard procedure in these circumstances, and added that the watchdog has begun its independent investigation.
Detective Superintendent Paul Speight said: ‘I know that people who live in this area of Huyton and the wider communities of Merseyside will be shocked by this incident.
‘We are still in the very early stages of investigating and part of our initial inquiries will be to establish the full circumstances of what happened.
‘In the meantime, I want to reassure the public that Merseyside Police is committed to keeping our communities safe and we take all reports of incidents involving weapons extremely seriously.
‘This was an isolated incident and we are not looking for anyone else. All three people have been taken to hospital to be assessed for their various injuries.
‘The IOPC will now conduct an independent investigation and we will be co-operating fully with their investigation in the coming days and weeks.’
An IOPC spokesperson said: ‘We have begun an investigation into an incident where a person has been shot by Merseyside Police in Huyton.
‘After being notified by the force, we declared an independent investigation shortly before 7pm.
‘We have sent investigators to attend the police post incident procedures to begin gathering evidence this evening.
‘Our investigation is in its initial stages and no further information is available at this time.’
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