A man wearing a ski mask was fatally shot by a Virginia police officer Friday morning after he pointed what appeared to be a handgun at officers, according to police.
The shooting happened after 8 a.m. on Friday, May 1, on the 300 block of Second Avenue South in Virginia.
Officers responded to a report of a man pacing and armed with a gun. Officers ordered the man to drop the weapon, but he refused. The male then pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the officers, police said.
An officer fired at the man, striking him. Officers administered first aid at the scene and the man was taken by ambulance to Essentia Health, where he was pronounced dead.
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Virginia police have not confirmed whether the man was actually holding a firearm. Neighbors told the Star Tribune the man, who was known to roam the city while listening to music, was carrying a torch lighter and not a gun.
A woman who lives near the scene said she was standing in her kitchen when she heard five gunshots.
No officers were injured. Those involved have been placed on critical incident leave, which is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings. All officers were wearing body cameras.
Virginia police and Saint Louis County sheriff’s deputies were on the scene. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating.
The man’s identity has not been released.
