A man wielding a hammer was shot three times and killed by police officers at the Iroquois Homes public housing complex Saturday night, a police spokesman said.
The man, who was in his 40s, was shot in the stomach and taken to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, said Dwight Mitchell, the police spokesman.
Four Louisville Metro police officers have been placed on routine, paid administrative leave pending a police investigation of the shooting, Mitchell said.
A police officer had responded to a "trouble call" in the 1500 block of Oneida Court at 8:30 p.m., he said.
When the officer arrived, he slipped to his knees and was approached by a man who loomed over him wielding a hammer "in a threatening manner," Mitchell said.
The officer fired his gun in response, but it was unclear whether the man was struck, Mitchell said.
A second officer arrived on the scene and deployed his Taser, he said.
Tasers use an electric shock to stop people perceived as threats, but Mitchell said the man retreated into his apartment.
Two more officers arrived on the scene, and the man emerged from the apartment holding the hammer, he said.
The officers fired again when the man failed to respond to police requests to drop the hammer, Mitchell said.