Two people were killed and two police officers critically injured after police responded to a domestic incident in Kirchheim in the western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, police said on Friday.

A 56-year-old woman and her 25-year-old son were among the fatalities.

Police responded after the woman called them and told them her son was having a psychotic episode under the influence of drugs and had attacked her. The police shot dead the son after he attacked and injured two police officers with scissors.

The mother died at the scene despite receiving emergency medical treatment. Police said they had not yet determined the cause of death.

No danger to public

Police had earlier taken to Twitter to reassure the public that the situation was under control and appeal to people not to jump to conclusions:

"More and more false announcements regarding our operation in #Kirchheim. We ask you to keep your distance from speculation," police wrote.

Kirchheim an der Weinstrasse is a small municipality southwest of Frankfurt with a population of less than 2,000. It's in the heart of Rhineland-Palatinate's wine-growing region known colloquially as the Weinstrasse ("wine road").

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