A man in Raleigh, North Carolina has been shot dead after he threw multiple Molotov cocktails outside a police station, authorities say.
According to Raleigh Police, the suspect set two police cars on fire with homemade explosives. After he began throwing the devices at police, four officers fired shots at him.
“The individual continued to throw multiple Molotov cocktails in the parking lot, and eventually towards our officers,” Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said at a press conference. “Multiple officers then discharged their weapons, and the individual was struck multiple times.”
The suspect later died at a hospital. Police have not yet released his name to the public, but said his family had been notified of his death.
Ms Patterson said all four officers had their body cameras on during the incident, and it was also filmed by surveillance cameras outside the station. That video footage will be reviewed, she said, as the altercation is investigated.
Footage of the aftermath shows ash and debris on the parking lot’s pavement, as well as a car whose front bumper appeared to be completely melted off. Firefighters were eventually able to put out the blaze later that afternoon.
The fire was so severe, Ms Patterson said, that they became a danger to the suspect himself after he was shot.
“Due to two vehicles being engulfed in flames, the officers moved the individual away from the area and attempted life-saving efforts before he was transported to a local hospital by EMS,” the police chief said.
More details will be released in a report compiled over the next five days, she added.
The Independent has reached out to the Raleigh Police Department for more information.
