ST. LOUIS — A man was killed in an officer-involved shooting Sunday morning, according to St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Chief John Hayden.
It happened near 13th and Clinton in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood, but it started shortly after 5 a.m. about a half-mile away near N. Florissant Avenue and St. Louis Avenue.
Chief Hayden said two officers tried to pull over a man for a traffic violation. According to a police update Monday morning, the violation was for some kind of equipment issue on the man's Nissan Altima. The officers were in uniform and in a marked vehicle, police added.
Hayden said the driver refused to pull over and sped off, which led to a short chase. Eventually, the car ran over a couple metal pole barriers, drove into the Bristol Place Apartment complex and hit a parked car. The officers said the man got out of his car and ran off.
One officer chased after the man, while the other officer drove around the apartment complex looking for him. The officer found him near Hadley and Clinton and got out of his patrol car to try to stop him.
Chief Hayden said the man had one hand in his pocket, which he refused to take out, even after the officer gave him several commands.
"That's a very dangerous situation for any officer," Chief Hayden told reporters gathered at the scene Sunday morning.
The officer used his department-issued taser to try to stop the suspect, Hayden confirmed, adding that there was some close contact between the man and officers. The taser had no effect, police said. The officer caught up with the suspect and again tried to use his taser, to no avail.
The officer said the man still had his hand in his pocket when he suddenly fell to the ground. The officer said that's when the man pulled out a gun from his pocket and pointed it at him. According to police, the officer pulled out his department-issued weapon and fired several shots, hitting the man in his torso.
He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was identified as 30-year-old Steven Day Monday afternoon.
The officers were not injured.
The officer who fired his service weapon is 39 years old. He's been with the department for 13 years. The partner officer is 28 years old and has been with the department for three years.
"It's a dangerous job everyday, and the officers are trained to deal with the dangers they're faced with," Chief Hayden said.
Police said the recovered the man's fully loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol. They also found suspected drugs and drug items in his car.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Force Investigation Unit responded and is handling the investigation.