Man and child found dead in Missouri home after exchange of gunfire with officers

LAWSON, Mo. -- A man and a child were found dead inside a Missouri home and a sheriff's deputy was injured after the man and police exchanged gunfire, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

A Lawson police officer and a Ray County deputy responded Sunday night to a domestic disturbance report in Lawson, a town of 2,500 about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northeast of Kansas City. Officers were told that a man assaulted a woman and that a child also was inside the home, the patrol said in a news release.

The man inside shot at the officers, striking the deputy, who was hospitalized with injuries not considered life-threatening, the patrol said. Officers returned fire, and additional officers from around the area arrived to help, including a tactical team from the Clay County Sheriff's Department.

Gunfire was heard inside the home, the patrol said, and when the tactical team entered, officers found the man and a child dead. The woman who had been assaulted was safe.

The patrol is conducting the investigation into the deaths and the police shooting.