Police fatally shoot man armed with pellet gun

UPDATE: Friday – 5/30/2014, 6:10 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Prince George’s County police have identified the man shot by officers as Mark A. Blocker, 20, of the 3300 block of Curtis Drive in Suitland.

EARLIER: Friday – 5/30/2014, 7:30 am ET

SUITLAND, Md. (AP) — Prince George’s County police say officers shot and killed a 20-year-old man armed with a pellet gun that resembled an assault rifle.

Police say officers ordered Mark Blocker to drop the weapon, but he did not comply, and the officers opened fire.

The shooting occurred around 2:15 a.m. Friday outside Blocker’s Suitland residence. Police say they were called to the scene for a report of two men arguing when the officers saw that one of them was carrying an apparent rifle.

After Blocker was shot, he was taken to a hospital, where he died. The other man wasn’t hurt. Police say they discovered after the shooting that the other man was also armed with a pellet gun. Police say his resembled a semi-automatic pistol.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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