St. Louis police fatally shoot man who allegedly pointed gun

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis police officer fatally shot a 21-year-old man who crashed a stolen SUV on Monday and allegedly pointed a gun at arriving officers, police chief Sam Dotson said.

The shooting happened shortly after noon on the city's north side.

Names of the suspect and the officer, a five-year veteran of the department, have not been released.

Police said two guns were found.

Officers were following the stolen SUV, which had three people inside.

Dotson said the officers were not chasing the vehicle but were staying a distance back, waiting for assistance, when a tire went flat on the SUV.

It flipped onto its side in the front yard of a home.

Dotson said the 21-year-old driver emerged from the wrecked vehicle and pointed a gun at approaching officers.

The officers ordered the man to drop the weapon, but he refused, Dotson said.

One officer fired four to six shots.

The suspect was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead as a result of the accident and the shooting, Dotson said.

The other two occupants of the SUV, ages 23 and 16, suffered minor injuries.

No officers were injured.

Dotson said the 21-year-old was convicted of burglary and unlawful use of a weapon in 2014.

The 23-year-old was convicted in 2013 of robbery.

As convicted felons, neither should have been in possession of a gun, the chief said.

"You're driving around in a stolen car with two guns and you're convicted felons; certainly there was a reason they didn't want to be stopped by police," Dotson said.

It wasn't clear whether the officer who fired his weapon was placed on administrative leave.