Suspect in officer shooting in North Dakota dead: report

(Reuters) - A man suspected of seriously wounding a North Dakota police officer was found dead on Thursday after an eight-hour standoff that started with a domestic dispute, local media reported.

The wounded officer was not expected to survive, WDAZ television, an ABC affiliate, reported, citing Fargo Police Chief David Todd.

The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Marcus Schumacher, appeared to have died from gunshots, Todd said at a news conference, according to WDAZ and Forum newspaper of Fargo-Morehead. It was not immediately known if Schumacher's wounds were self inflicted or if he had been shot by police.

In 1988, Schumacher, then 22, was found guilty of negligent homicide in the shooting death of a teenager, the Forum reported.

Fargo police could not be reached for comment.

Police officer Jason Moszer, 33, who is married with two children, suffered an extremely serious gunshot wound after responding to a domestic disturbance at the home on the northeast side of Fargo on Wednesday night, WDAZ reported. The Forum reported that he was a six-year veteran with the Fargo police.

If Moszer does not survive, he would be only the second police officer shot to death in the city's history, local media reported. An investigation is being handled by the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Cass County Sheriff's Office.

Local media had reported that an unidentified man armed with several weapons, including a long rifle, started shooting at police from the home when they approached at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Nearby residents were told to stay in their homes and go into their basements for shelter, WDAZ reported.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Katharine Houreld and Bill Trott)