There were no reports of casualties.
"The man, a former member of the army, is armed and on the run as we speak (...) A police operation is taking place to avoid things getting out of control," the prefect of Dordogne, Frederic Perissat, told BFM television.
"The man went overnight to the home of his ex-partner. A dispute took place there, which led to the intervention of gendarmes and that is when the suspect shot at them. He then fled to woods nearby," Perissat said.
The Dordogne prefecture on Twitter urged inhabitants of Le Lardin-Saint-Lazare to stay at home until further notice.
URGENT | Une opération de gendarmerie est en cours au Lardin Saint Lazare en #Dordogne, et la préfecture appelle la population à rester chez elle.https://t.co/bEk8Ya0gaP
— Le Parisien (@le_Parisien) May 30, 2021