A 65-year-old woman is dead and a Quebec provincial police officer is in hospital after police responded to a report of a domestic dispute at a home in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, a community of about 40,000 70 km southwest of Montreal..

Johanne Chayer has been identified as the woman who died from a gunshot wound.

The 27-year-old Sûreté du Québec officer is reportedly in serious but stable condition.

He was shot when officers from the provincial police service responded to a call about domestic violence at the home on du Sentier Street around 9:30 p.m., according to Sgt. Audrey-Anne Bilodeau.

It was really stressful to see this kind of deployment of police officers, because it's a very quiet neighbourhood. - Marie-Ève St-Onge

"[The officer] was transported to the hospital," Bilodeau said. "He suffered major injuries but he is stable right now."

The gunman had barricaded himself in the home for hours, but the tactical squad finally entered at around 2 a.m. Chayer was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police were called to the home after reports of a domestic dispute around 9:30 o.m. Tuesday. (Charles Contant/CBC)

A 72-year-old man is in police custody following the incident. A police spokesperson said it's likely he will face murder and attempted murder charges and various weapons-related charges.

Investigators are going over the scene examining the technical details to figure out what happened.

Witness sees officers hidden in bushes

A least a couple of neighbours witnessed the police efforts.

François Prévost was watching from his living room window, and his two young children were asleep, when police arrived to evacuate the residence.

"We saw many police officers hidden in the bushes and between the vehicles," Prévost said.

He said he saw a police officer being taken away in an ambulance.

Prévost said he did not know the neighbours at the home where the shooting took place, and that they had lived on the street only for two or three months.

Most residents on the street are young families or retirees, he said.

The shooting took place in a home on du Sentier Street in the community of 40,000. A neighbour said most residents on the street are young families or retirees. (Charles Contant/CBC)

Marie-Ève St-Onge said she saw police gather and heard about six gunshots close to 10 p.m., and began watching through the window.

She said police told her to stay away from the windows and to go to the back of the house.

Then, at around 11:30 p.m., police told the family to evacuate their home. She went to her mother-in-law's house with her partner and children.

"It was really stressful to see this kind of deployment of police officers, because it's a very quiet neighbourhood," St-Onge said.

"Usually nothing happens here."