Man shot and killed by officers on Anchorage highway was holding rifle, police say #Man #shot #killed #officers #Anchorage #highway #holding #rifle #police

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Police responding to a report of gunfire shot and killed a man holding a rifle along a highway exit ramp in Anchorage before dawn Sunday, authorities said.

Two officers pulled their squad car over after spotting an SUV that was stopped on the South Birchwood exit from the Glenn Highway shortly after 5:30 a.m., according to the Anchorage Police Department.

The officers noticed the SUV’s rear hatch was open and a man was standing there with the gun in his hands, the department said in a statement.

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“The suspect advanced on the officers while holding the rifle; one officer fired his weapon, hitting the suspect at least one time in the upper body,” the statement said.

When the officers rendered aid to the man, they found a handgun on him, police said. The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, died at a hospital.

Officials said the two officers were in the area investigating a shots-fired report, but it wasn’t immediately known if the suspect was involved in that incident.

No officers were hurt.

The officer who shot the suspect was placed on administrative leave during the investigation, according to police department policy.

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