Two officers who were shot during a routine traffic stop are hospitalized at Shock Trauma in serious condition.

The suspected shooter was killed when officers returned fire.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the shooting happened at about 12:21 a. m. Sunday in the 2600 block of McElderry Street.

The officers had pulled over the suspected shooter for an unknown traffic offense.

When the officers approached the car, the suspect pulled out a gun and shot one officer in the face and the other in the arm.

The officers had noticed an older model Chevrolet Caprice moving in tandem with another vehicle and became suspicious, Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld said. They found marijuana in the car and were arresting one of two passengers, but the driver hesitated to get out.

"He was reluctant, and now we know why," Bealefeld said.

Bealefeld said the shooter struck a 34-year-old officer in the cheek, breaking his jaw. A 23-year-old was hit in his hand, nearly severing a finger.

Police said all three officers returned the fire, hitting and killing the suspect.

The two other people in the car were taken into custody but released without charges. The two officers were taken to Shock Trauma to undergo surgery, but they're expected to be OK. The names of the officers and the suspect haven't been released.

Police recovered a .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun at the scene, the commissioner said.

"I'm very proud of our officers they performed well and they're very brave -- very brave," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said. "They were alert they were concerned about each other and one was even concerned about how soon he can get back to work."

Bealefeld commended the officers who were shot and other officers who have been working to get guns off the street and make the city safer.

Gun control has been an issue Bealefeld has taken a tough stance on since becoming commissioner. He also hasn't been shy about calling out criminals.

"I hear people say, 'Well, you shouldn't call them idiots.' These guys are arming themselves on the streets of Baltimore," Bealefeld said. "I think they are idiots, I think they pose an incredible danger to all of us. You know who else agrees with me? My cops."

2009 was a deadly year for officers nationwid...

Md. officer dies from car crash injuries (VID...

Copyright 2010 by wbaltv.com. All rights reserved.