Police officers stand guard near a crime scene
Police officers stand guard near a crime scene where three Los Angeles police officers were shot, in Los Angeles. Police said the officers were hospitalised and in stable condition. Image Credit: AP

Three Los Angeles police officers were shot and wounded on Wednesday evening but were in stable condition while the suspect "was pronounced deceased", the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said.

During a search for the suspect, a parolee at large, officers discovered that he was unresponsive, LAPD said in a post on Twitter.

"LA Fire personnel responded and provided treatment, however the suspect was pronounced deceased at scene," the department said. It did not say how the suspect died.

Live overhead images from CBS-affiliate KCAL-TV had earlier shown several police cars sealing off the area around a garage in the Lincoln Heights neighbourhood.

Officers in full tactical gear were seen near the site where the suspected gunman was holed up.

The Los Angeles Times newspaper, citing unidentified police sources, said the officers who were shot are part of a canine unit and were seeking a suspect when they took fire.

"I'm relieved and grateful that these three brave officers are in stable condition, and are able to have a conversation with two of them, when I checked in on them," said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a news conference on Wednesday.

The office of the mayor did not respond to a request from Reuters for comment.