Phoenix police shoot and kill man accused of hurling rocks at officers

Arizona police shot and killed a man who they say attacked an officer with a rock on Saturday morning, AZCentral reports.

The man, described only as white and about 30 years old, began hurling rocks at a police officer leaving a Phoenix Police Department precinct station, Sgt. Jonathan Howard told reporters. After the officer called for back-up, the man began throwing rocks at the police precinct.

The man shattered a door with a rock and threw a rock at an officer who was coming out of the building.

"There was an officer coming outside on foot from inside the precinct to assist," Howard told reporters, "when the man took a big rock and threw it, breaking the glass at the front door of our police precinct."

Howard said as officers were trying to talk to him, the man picked up another rock and threw it at an officer, striking his hand.

"That officer returned by shooting one time with his gun, striking that suspect and ending this violent encounter," Howard said.

The shooting happened just before noon local time.

The man was transported to a nearby hospital but died of the gunshot wound. CBS5 reports the incident was the 38th police shooting in Phoenix in 2015.

Watch Sgt. Howard's statement to the media, as posted by AZCentral, here: