'Eight cops shot – 3 dead' in Baton Rouge, Louisiana: report

THREE police officers are feared dead after a gunman dressed in black opens fire on cops.

The incident happened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, near Airline Highway, at 9am local time.

Reports are coming in that eight cops have been shot and three are dead.

A manhunt is underway for a man dressed in black and wearing a mask who opened fire.

The mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish Kip Holden told CNN: "There is still an active scene. They are investigating.

"Right now we are trying to get our arms around everything.

"It’s just been one thing after another."

The injured officers were taken to a local hospital, Sergeant Don Coppola says, adding he did not know the extent of their injuries.

While the scene of the shooting was contained, police have still not taken the shooter into custody and waed local residents to stay away from the scene.

Baton Rouge was the scene of a deadly encounter between a black man and white policemen, which the U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating.

Alton Sterling, 37, was pinned to the ground and shot in the chest outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

His death sparked angry protests, with crowds gathering at the scene of the incident chanting “black lives matter”.

Within the last minute, at least a dozen marked and unmarked police units have flown by @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/18aZAyhTtj — Michael Vinsanau (@MVinsanau) July 17, 2016