A Puerto Rican police officer shot dead three of his fellow officers on Monday, reports say.

The suspect had held three law enforcement agents — a commander, lieutenant and policewoman — hostage before shooting them, Puerto Rican police spokeswoman Mayra Ayala told the Associated Press news agency. Although she did not identify the suspect by name, Ms Ayala told the AP he worked in the anti-drug division and confirmed that he had been arrested imediately after the shooting, which she said followed an argument.

Initial reports had identified the suspect as 50-year-old Candelario Rivera Guarionex, who had reportedly been a 19-year veteran of local law enforcement, a journalist at local Ponce, Puerto Rico radio station Radio Isla 1320, Julio Rivera-Saniel, said on Twitter. Mr Rivera Guarionex also reported that the suspect had been detained.

Puerto Rican police were not immediately available to confirm the suspect's identity to The Independent.