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Man with knife fatally shot by police outside shop near Tropicana, Koval

Man with knife fatally shot by police outside shop near Tropicana, Koval

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A man is dead after he was shot by Las Vegas police officers during an altercation outside a store near Tropicana Avenue and Koval Lane on Friday morning.

Officers were called to the area by employees of a local business who asked for help with a domestic disturbance, said Capt. Kurt McKenzie of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Internal Oversight and Constitutional Enforcement Officer.

Watch: Capt. Kurt McKenzie details the events of a fatal police shooting outside a local business:

Police briefing on officer-involved shooting outside store in Las Vegas

Employees told dispatchers one of the subjects went behind the counter and threatened employees, McKenzie said.

When officers arrived, the people they called had already left the store but were still outside in the parking lot.

One of them was “extremely excited” and was holding a knife, McKenzie said.

As the officers got out of their patrol car, McKenzie said the man with the knife “rushed” toward one of the officers, who fired her weapon in his direction.

McKenzie says the man then “charged at another officer at full speed, causing the officer to back away, fire his weapon and fall to the ground.”

Officers regrouped as the man continued to advance toward them and another volley of shots was fired, McKenzie said. The man tried to run away, but didn't get far before he fell to the ground.

Additional officers who arrived at the scene took the man into custody and began medical intervention. McKenzie says the man was later pronounced dead by University Hospital staff. He had not been publicly identified at the time of this report.

Asked by reporters why officers didn't use less lethal force, McKenzie said the events unfolded “extremely quickly.”

He noted that all officers and other people involved are doing well. He also urged community members to share any photos and videos they had of the altercation.

“We know there are a lot of people who have videotaped,” he said. “If you have any information, please contact LVMPD or Crime Stoppers.”

This is the 10th officer-involved shooting in LVMPD's jurisdiction this year, McKenzie noted.

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