Chief: St. Paul Officers Feared For Lives

ST. PAUL (AP) - St. Paul police say a man shot to death by police was smashing car windows with a pipe and came at officers with a rock.

The shooting happened about 6:30 a.m. Thursday on the city's west side near a gas station.

St. Paul Police Chief Thomas Smith says the two officers who confronted the suspect feared for their lives.

Smith says the man ignored orders to stop and closed on the officers with a rock bigger than a baseball.

Smith told reporters: "You don't always have to have a firearm or a knife to hurt somebody."

Neither officer was hurt.

The names of the officers - who are on standard administrative leave - were not released.

Reports say police are working to identify the suspect.