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Vallejo Police Kill Robbery Suspect Pointing Pellet Gun

VALLEJO (CBS SF) - Police in Vallejo shot and killed a suspect they said pointed a pellet gun at officers late Thursday night.

Officers responded to reports of a man with a gun in the 2000 block of Sonoma Boulevard at 11:57 p.m. Thursday.

A victim told police that a man in a long black jacket had pulled a handgun on him, and was last seen walking north on Sonoma Boulevard toward Capitol Street.

KCBS' Tim Ryan Reports:

The man was still walking away when police arrived, and officers approached the man, parked their car and told the man to stop.

The man looked over his shoulder at the officers and continued to walk away while reaching into his pocket.

The officers saw that he had a gun and was turning toward them, police said.

Both officers fired at the suspect, who fell to the sidewalk. The officers handcuffed him and called for medical assistance.

It was determined the man had been holding an Airsoft-style pellet gun, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is being withheld pending notification of his next-of-kin, but police said he is a 53-year-old resident of north Vallejo.

An autopsy will be performed next week, police said.

The two officers were placed on paid administrative leave. The incident was under investigation by Vallejo police and the Solano County District Attorney's Office.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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