Westminster, Massachusetts police shoot and kill man armed with knife, investigators say

Police in Westminster, Massachusetts shot and killed a man who was armed with a knife Monday, investigators said.

Officers went to a home on South Ashburnham Road shortly before 5 p.m. to arrest a 22-year-old. In a statement, they said the man "held a large knife and moved towards the officers."

"Officers discharged their department-issued firearms, striking the individual. Officers immediately rendered medical aid to the injured man," police said in their statement Tuesday.

The man, who has not been identified, was rushed to a hospital where he died.

None of the officers were hurt, police said. They did not say exactly how many were involved, but police said the officers are now on administrative leave until the investigation is over.

WBZ-TV spoke with a woman who said she's the man's mother. She said she was out of town for work when the incident happened, but that her boyfriend was home when the police first arrived.

"They went in and my boyfriend was still downstairs, so he didn't see what happened, but he heard them say, 'You're not in trouble.' And then he heard them say 'Let me see your hands,' and then they said, 'Put the knife down' and then they shot," the mother said.

No other information is available at this point in the investigation, which also involves Massachusetts State Police and the Worcester County District Attorney's Office.

Westminster, Massachusetts is about 56 miles northwest of Boston.