Omaha police fatally shoot man who pointed gun at them

Officers were called to assist with an apparently suicidal Matthew Johnson

Officers in Nebraska's largest city fatally shot an armed man who pointed a gun at them in an Omaha street, police there said.

The shooting happened early Sunday morning in a southwestern part of the city near a shopping complex. Officers called to the scene for reports of a suicidal man encountered an armed man in the street holding a handgun to his head, police said.

The officers tried for several minutes to talk the man into putting his gun down, but when he pointed the gun at a bystander, then at the officers, police shot him, officials said.

NEBRASKA TRUCK DRIVER HITS 5 MILLION MILES ON THE ROAD WITHOUT A SINGLE ACCIDENT: 'HAS BEEN A GIFT'

Police officers in Nebraska fatally shot a reportedly suicidal man who was armed with a gun Sunday morning. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The man, later identified as 27-year-old Matthew Johnson of Omaha, died at a hospital.

Johnson's shooting death comes as police around the country seek new ways to handle their encounters with people who are mentally ill, who make up a substantial portion of those killed by police.

Detectives with the Douglas and Sarpy County sheriff's departments are investigating the Omaha shooting. Police have not named the officers who shot Johnson.

Load more..