A Naperville police officer shot and killed a man who charged at them with a hatchet in the middle of a traffic stop Friday morning, authorities said.
At approximately 11 a.m. in the area of Bond Street and McDowell Road, an officer with the Naperville Police Department was conducting a traffic stop when an unrelated vehicle pulled up next to the one the officer had pulled over, police said in a news release.
A man got out of the vehicle, charged at the officer with a hatchet in his hand, at which point the officer discharged their firearm, striking the suspect, authorities said. Naperville police distributed a photo from the officer's body camera to reporters, showing an individual, with their faced blurred, holding what appeared to be a hatchet.
NBC 5 has yet to independently verify the account of events provided by Naperville police.
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The suspect, a man in his 20s, was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead. His identity hasn't been made public as family notification is pending. The officer, a 22-year veteran of the Naperville Police Department, was not injured, authorities said.
The DuPage County Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigative Team and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office are investigating the shooting. Anyone witnesses are asked to call Lt. Thayer, commander of MERIT’s public integrity team, at 630-434-5653.
