Shooting of police officers is 'a very rare event'

An armed man has shot two policemen in New York City, killing one and leaving the second in critical condition.

The incident took place in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of the city this afternoon.

The attacker is reported to have fled into a subway station and turned the gun on himself.

J David Goodman, a crime Reporter for the New York Times, said it was a very rare event.