Two police officers injured and suspect killed in Walmart shooting

Officer in critical condition after gunman opened fire inside store

An officer is in critical condition after a gunman opened fire inside a Walmart in Arkansas. (AP)

Two police officers were shot and a suspected gunman has been killed inside a Walmart in Forrest City, Arkansas, after a man allegedly threatened people inside the store before he opened fire on two officers on the scene.

Lt Eric Varner and Detective Eugene Watlington were injured in the shooting, and one of the officers is listed in critical condition at a nearby hospital, according to Forrest City police chief Deon Lee.

Chief Lee said Lt Varner, who has been on the force for more than a decade, has already been released from the hospital.

Detective Watlington is undergoing surgery, but his prognosis is better than initially expected, Chief Lee said.

The suspect, Bobby Joe Gibbs, was killed.

According to police, a security guard inside the store alerted police to a suspicious person in the grocery section of the store before 11am on Monday.

Chief Lee said the suspect was "making threats and talking out of his head" before the two officers confronted the man, who then allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired several rounds.

Neither of the officers were in police uniform, and the officers were not wearing bulletproof vests, according to Chief Lee.

Roughly 30 officers are employed by Forrest City.

Arkansas State Police are advising people to "stay away from the areas if at all possible" while the agency's criminal investigation division assists at the scene.

In a statement, ASP said: "The prayers and thoughts of the ASP are with the two Forrest City Police Officers that were injured this morning in a shooting at the Walmart store."

The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded to the scene.