Explosive device kills a police officer in northern Spain

MADRID (AP) — One Spanish police officer was killed and another was seriously wounded when an explosive device went off while they were responding to a shooting in the northern city of Oviedo, Spain’s National Police said Tuesday.

There is no indication as of yet that the explosion was terror-related, according to authorities.

Police were searching for a suspect who fled the apartment building where officers found a backpack containing the bomb after responding to a call to alert them to shots being fired.

The backpack went off while the bomb squad was trying to remove it from the building, where it was found in the stairwell, police said.

On arriving at the scene, police found that one woman had been shot by the suspect. She’s being treated at a local hospital. Her life reportedly isn’t in danger.

The officer who died was a member of the dog unit. The injured officer, who is hospitalized, is in the bomb squad.

Spanish government spokesperson Elma Saiz expressed the government’s condolences for the felled officer.

“I also want to send a message for the recovery of the officer who was seriously injured during the explosion,” Saiz said.

Spanish news agency EFE said that the suspect has a record of petty crime.