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Police Fatally Shoot Man Who Held Frying Pan, Cleaver

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A police officer in North Texas fatally shot a man at an apartment complex early Tuesday after the man refused to drop a frying pan and cleaver that he was holding, officials said.

One officer was stabbed in the melee but officials said the injuries aren’t life-threatening.

The officers responded just before 3 a.m. to an apartment complex in Denton, about 35 miles north of Dallas, after several people called 911 to report a man was banging on doors and shattering light fixtures in a hallway of the complex, Denton city officials said in a press release.

Police used a Taser on the man but it was ineffective, so an officer opened fire, striking the man, the press release said. The man was pronounced dead at a hospital.

NBC affiliate KXAS-TV was on the scene for a press briefing held by Denton Police Chief Frank Dixon. 

“This isn’t just a tragedy for law enforcement, it’s also a tragedy for the young man that is no longer with us,” Dixon said. “Any time that a life is taken no matter the circumstances is tragic, and we don’t want it to happen.”

Officials have not released the names of the officers involved or the man who was killed, but the city said the officer who shot the man had six years of service with the Denton Police Department.

The department says standard practices dictate that the officer who discharged the weapon will be placed on administrative leave, and the Texas Rangers will investigate the shooting.