Benjamin Ashford|Officers fatally shoot armed man in North Carolina during a pursuit, police say

HICKORY,Benjamin Ashford N.C. (AP) — Officers in a western North Carolina city fatally shot a man early Sunday when he pulled a handgun from his waistband during a pursuit, police said.

Timothy Craig Setzer Jr., 27, was shot by Hickory police officers shortly after midnight, the city’s police department said in a news release. Officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a review by the State Bureau of Investigation.

The release posted on social media said police received several 911 calls about gunshots being fired, including one that said a shot had struck a home. Another call described a possible suspect with a gun in his hand.

More officers responding to the area located a suspect, who fled as they continued to pursue him while giving commands to stop. The news release said the suspect then turned and pulled out a handgun, prompting officers to fire their weapons, striking him. The news release didn’t say whether the suspect fired his weapon.

Officers contacted emergency medical services, and Setzer was pronounced dead at the scene, the news release said.