Man dies from police gunfire

[Anchor]

Early this morning (Feb. 26), a police officer dispatched after receiving a report in Gwangju was attacked with a weapon by a man in his 50s and was seriously injured.

The police used firearms while subduing the man who was wielding a weapon, and the man died after being hit by a bullet fired by the police.

This is Son Min-joo reporting.

[Report]

In the early morning, a patrol car with its lights on follows a man walking down an alley.

The man charges with a weapon at the police officer attempting to conduct a stop-and-search.

When he ignored multiple demands to drop the weapon, the officer fires a taser and then a warning shot.

However, as the weapon attacks continued, the officer engaged in a physical struggle and responded with live ammunition.

[Witness/voice altered: "The sound of the gun went bang bang. (How many times did it go off?) Three times!"]

The man, who was shot in the upper body, was taken to the hospital but died.

The deceased man was seen following two women to their residence just before the incident.

At the time of the dispatch, the police were responding to a report from a woman stating that a man had chased her to the front of her officetel.

The police officer, who sustained injuries to his face and neck from the weapon, is receiving treatment at the hospital.

According to police regulations, the use of firearms is permitted if the suspect poses an imminent and serious threat to life or bodily harm.

The police explained that despite repeated warnings, the weapon attacks continued, and they attempted to aim for the thigh, but the situation was urgent.

[Police official/voice altered: "Even after being shot, he continued to wield the weapon, making it difficult to aim for the lower body."]

The police plan to conduct an autopsy on the deceased man and also investigate the appropriateness of the firearm response.

This is KBS News, Son Min-joo.