Video: Illinois Police Fatally Shoots Man Lunging At Him With An Ax

KEY POINTS

A man, 28, lunged at an Illinois police officer with a hatchet
The assailant died after he was shot six times by the officer
A body-worn camera was able to record the entire incident
An independent investigation into the shooting is underway

Naperville, Illinois -- A police officer fatally shot a man who charged at him with an ax, footage of the encounter showed.

The Naperville Police Department (NPD) officer was conducting a traffic stop along the northern side of Bond Street at around 11 a.m. on June 3 when an uninvolved sedan arrived on the scene.

The driver of the vehicle, later identified by the DuPage County Coroner's Office as 28-year-old Edward C. Samaan, made an inaudible comment during the encounter, according to the New York Post.

"Who are you, dude? Who are you?" the NPD officer, a 22-year veteran of the force whose identity was not disclosed, said in response.

Samaan proceeded to exit his vehicle and lunged at the officer while he was holding a hatchet with his right hand, footage of the incident released by the NPD showed.

The officer ended up firing a total of six shots at Samaan, forcing the latter to the ground.

"This scene went quickly from a traffic stop for a minor violation to an attack on a police officer by an uninvolved party," NPD police chief Jason Arres said.

Paramedics later arrived and rendered aid to Samaan, who was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead.

Additional police responders removed multiple bags and suitcases from Samaan's car following the incident, which they placed on the ground to be scanned with an X-ray. Authorities declined to reveal what exactly they found.

No officers or bystanders were injured or killed in the incident, according to Arres.

While an autopsy on Samaan has been completed, the cause and manner of his death are still under investigation, pending toxicology results.

The DuPage County Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigative Team and the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office are conducting an independent investigation into the incident.

"Any loss of life is tragic. Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased," Arres said.

Investigators have reportedly spoken with Samaan's relatives.

"We are sorry to everyone involved," the assailant's brother told ABC 7 Chicago.

The NPD started issuing body-worn cameras to its officers last month, according to Arres. Meanwhile, the department has been using in-car cameras since 2014.