St. Louis County Police Fatally Shoot Man Carrying Knife, Bible In Jennings (VIDEO)

Man Carrying Knife And Bible Fatally Shot By St. Louis County Police

Officers shot and killed a man who allegedly charged at them carrying a knife in Jennings, Missouri on Friday night.

A tense standoff started when the 23-year-old man's mother called police for help before 9:30 p.m., saying her son had barricaded himself in their home and was acting erratically. St. Louis County Police said she warned them that her son, identified as Thaddeus McCarroll, had a knife and was talking about a "black revolution" and a "mission."

Jennings is a St. Louis suburb near Ferguson, Missouri and police departments in the area have been under scrutiny since unarmed teenager Michael Brown was killed by a Ferguson cop in August.

Through a window in the house, police claimed in a statement that they saw McCarroll pacing around with several knives and a Samurai sword.

Negotiators coaxed McCarroll from the house after an hour of talks and when he exited, police said he held a bible in one hand and a knife in the other.

The county police department released footage from an officer's body camera, but it's tough to see what transpired. It does however clearly record statements from some officers who try persuading McCarroll to put down the knife.

"I need to know why you are angry," an officer says. "Is it your mom? Is it you?"

Moments later, a single shot rings out and, after a brief pause, a barrage of gunfire erupts.

WARNING: The officer's body camera video contains material that some might find disturbing. Story continues below.

Officers ordered him to drop the knife, but McCarroll had allegedly edged closer while still carrying the potential weapon, according to police. An officer "fired a less lethal round," hoping to force McCarroll to drop the blade. Instead, McCarroll charged at police and two cops responded by firing multiple shots at him, according to the statement from county police.

"This is another tragic situation where police officers had no other option than to use deadly force against an armed subject. A family lost a loved one tonight and that is tragic, there is no understating that," St. Louis County Police Chief of Police Jon Belmar said, "My officers took every precaution to safely resolve this situation, starting with over an hour-long attempt at negotiations with the subject.”

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