Virginia Police Searching for Gunman Who Shot Patrol Car 3 Times

Police tape in a stock photo. (Carl Ballou/Shutterstock)

Authorities in Suffolk, Virginia, said they are looking for a suspect who opened fire on a marked police car on Tuesday night. The vehicle was hit three times, they added.

An officer was inside the patrol car but wasn't injured, officials said in a statement.

Police said the shooting occurred at around  7:30 p.m. in the 200 block of North Broad Street.

"Upon preliminary investigation it was determined that the marked police vehicle that was traveling in the area was shot three times. The officer did not sustain any injuries," authorities said.

On Tuesday night, after the incident, there was a large police presence in the area as officers attempted to obtain evidence, according to the department.

Other details about the incident were not provided.

It comes hours after a federal officer was shot near a courthouse in Phoenix, Arizona, and several days after two Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies were shot in the head in an ambush attack. Suspects are being sought in those cases.

The Phoenix Police Department said the officer suffered “non-life-threatening injures.”

According to the department, the shooting occurred near the Sandra Day O’Connor U.S. Courthouse near 7th Avenue and Jefferson Street.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Suffolk Police or Suffolk Crime Line. One can call 888-LOCK-U-UP, 1-888-562-5887, Option 5. Once a person submits a tip, they will be given a TIP ID and password. With this information they can login at p3tips.com and submit follow-up information, engage in two-way dialogue, be informed of the outcome of the tip, and access any pertinent reward information.