A Waukegan police officer shot and killed a man that was reportedly armed with a knife and hammer and had a gasoline can taped to his chest Wednesday afternoon, officials say.
At approximately 12:45 p.m., police said they responded to calls of a dispute between neighbors on the 1000th block of Glen Court, with one of the neighbors reportedly trying to start a chainsaw.
When police arrived, the wooden fence separating the neighbors' properties was on fire.
Officials said an officer retrieved a fire extinguisher from his car and walked toward the blaze when a man approached him with a knife and hammer, as well as gasoline.
According to police, the officer asked the man to stop advancing, but as the man reportedly refused to listen, the officer opened fire, striking the man. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Authorities identified the man as a Waukegan resident in his 20s. The officer is said to be a 15-year police veteran in his 30s.
The investigation is ongoing, and Waukegan police chief Keith Zupec has requested that the Illinois State Police look into the incident, in accordance with department policy.
Local
NBC 5 has yet to independently verify the account of events provided by police.
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