Two police officers shot at Scientology Church by sword-wielding man

Man arrived in white Bentley before entering building carrying weapons

Inglewood Scientology church, California (Google)

Two police officers in America were injured and a suspect killed during a shootout at a Scientology church where the man had entered the building carrying a gun and a sword.

The police were called to the building in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday afternoon after the man reportedly arrived at the church in a white Bentley and entered the building with the weapons.

Gunfire erupted inside the entrance hall of the building when police approached the man, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and wielding the sword, police said.

One officer was shot in the hand, and another shot in the arm. The suspect was shot in the head and died of his injuries.

Both police officers were hospitalised and are said to be in a good condition.

The police did not say who fired first or whether a gun was recovered from the suspect.

The Church of Scientology released a statement thanking the Inglewood Police Department for its “rapid response in protecting our parishioners and staff members”.

The organisation said it offered its full support to the authorities investigating the incident.

Inglewood is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and has a population of just over 100,000 people.

The Scientology Church in Inglewood was opened in 2011, since then it has also opened a community centre to work alongside other civic institutions, businesses and individuals, the church’s website says.

Scientology, a controversial religion set up in the 1950s by science fiction author L Ron Hubbard, is considered a cult in Chile and by some French authorities, and has been designated as an “anti-constitutional sect” in Germany.