Cop Stabbed in Face, Fatally Shoots Suspect in 'Justified' Use of Deadly Force: Police

A Massachusetts police officer fatally shot a man Sunday morning after the suspect allegedly stabbed him in the face, according to officials. Springfield, Massachusetts Mayor Domenic Sarno said that the killing "unfortunately" was "justified" because of the man's attack against the responding officer and the threat he posed to others involved in the encounter.

The police officer who was stabbed was one of two officers who responded at around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday to reports of an adult male who had a knife and allegedly used the knife to threaten someone, Springfield police said in a statement. They located a man who matched the suspect's description on a city block.

When they attempted to confront the man, he stabbed one of the officers in the face, the statement said.

"The suspect then again charged towards the officers with his knife in hand and the officer who was stabbed in the face fired two shots from his service pistol striking the suspect," police said.

Police said that the officers immediately rendered first aid to the man at the scene of the shooting. He was then transported to the Baystate Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The injured officer was also brought to the medical center for treatment. He had suffered "serious, non-life-threatening injuries," Springfield Police said in the statement.

"I'm so sorry to the victim's and suspect's family. We do not want to see loss of life. That's not what we are about, but unfortunately in our line of business it can happen," Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood said at a Sunday news conference. "Prayers to his family and to him and prayers to my officers and a speedy recovery to our officer at Baystate."

Sarno also called the situation "tragic" and expressed his sympathy for the family of the man who was fatally shot, Masslive.com reported.

Both the police department and the Hampden district attorney's office are currently investigating the incident.

"Once the investigation is completed, the District Attorney's Office will review and render a final decision," the statement said.

The man was "told multiple times to drop the weapon," Clapprood said at the news conference.

No names were made public, but the injured officer was described as a nine-year department veteran and a military veteran, a department spokesperson told Masslive.com.

"We are extremely lucky today that we are not here to discuss a police officer killed in the line of duty," Clapprood said.

Both officers, per protocol, have been placed on paid administrative leave.

The stabbing was captured by both officers' body-worn cameras as well as surveillance video from the area, officials said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.