Man fatally shot by police officer in small southeast Missouri town

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (AP) — A man died after he was shot by a police officer in a small town in southeast Missouri.

The shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Monday in Poplar Bluff, a town of about 16,000 residents 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis. The name of the man killed has not been released, KFVS-TV reported.

Police said an officer responding to a wellness check call found a man lying under a vehicle. The officer learned the man had an active warrant for assault.

As a second officer arrived, the man got into the vehicle and locked himself inside, eventually accelerating in reverse, nearly striking an officer, police said.

One of the officers shot the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating.