Two Santa Cruz, police officers were shot and killed Tuesday afternoon while investigating a sexual assault complaint. Authorities also said the suspect was fatally shot after a short chase.

The shooting occurred around 3:30pm after the officers, one male and one female, went to the suspect's Santa Cruz, California home to follow up on the case. Their deaths were confirmed by Phil Wowak, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff.

The gunman was shot and killed a soon after while being pursued by police.

After the officers, Sgt. Loren Butch Baker, a 28-year veteran, and Detective Elizabeth Butler, a 10-year veteran, were shot and killed, nearby residents received calls urging them to stay indoors.

One neighbor, Thomas Todd, spoke with a bay area NBC news affiliate from inside his home via Facetime to recount details of the suspect's death.

"It sounded like the Fourth of July," Todd said. "It was about six or seven seconds of I guess about 70 or 80 gunshots and then everything went quiet. Then a bunch of police officers were just yelling and trying to coordinate positions."

Police Chief Kevin Vogel responded to the Santa Cruz shooting saying, "There aren't words to describe this horrific tragedy. This is the darkest day in the history of the Santa Cruz police department."

Santa Cruz mayor, Hilary Bryant also reacted to the shooting in a statement Tuesday night. "Tonight we are heartbroken at the loss of two of our finest police officers who were killed in the line of duty, protecting the community we love," the statement said. "This is an exceptionally shocking and sad day for Santa Cruz and our Police Department."

The suspect who was killed in the shooting was 35-year-old Jeremy Goulet. Goulet had been arrested Friday after a co-worker at a Santa Cruz coffee shop alleged he came to her house and made unwanted sexual advances.

To investigate the complaint, officers Baker and Butler went to the house where Goulet was living and, according to authorities, the result was the struggle that lead to the officers being fired upon.