A man with an ax was shot and killed Wednesday by Pinehurst police officers at the scene of a house fire, according to officials.
Around 7:15 a.m., Pinehurst police officers responded to a report of a suspicious person at a home on Remington Lane.
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At the scene, officers saw smoke coming from the home and called the Pinehurst Fire Department for assistance. While crews were working to put out the fire, police said a man emerged from the front door of the home.
Pinehurst Deputy Police Chief Ken Hall said a man grabbed an ax left by a firefighter and charged at officers, prompting two of them to open fire. Hall said the man did not relent when given commands by officers.
One officer used a Taser to shock the man, but when he did not drop the ax, officers fired their weapons "to protect themselves and others on the scene," police said.
"Our officers obviously are shaken following a situation of this magnitude," Hall said. "[We're] dealing with the emotional side of it at this point."
This is the first officer-involved shooting in Pinehurst since the 1950s.
"[I've] never heard a gunshot out here," said neighbor Baldwin Caldwell. "It's never happened, in the time I've been here, well over 20 years."
The man, who police have yet to identify, was transported to a hospital but died as a result of his injuries. No firefighters or police officers were injured.
The man was described as being in the mid-20s to early 30s age range. Detectives and SBI agents were still at the home gathering evidence on Wednesday afternoon.
Crime scene tape was posted around a home on Wednesday morning. Sky 5 captured video of several fire department vehicles and police cruisers parked at the scene.
Drivers and neighbors were asked to avoid the area around Gun Club Drive.
The SBI is leading the investigation, and the Pinehurst Police Department will conduct an internal investigation to ensure policies were followed, police said. The officers who fired shots are on administrative leave during the investigation.