A man in his 50s was shot by police, and an officer was hurt during a confrontation in South Boston Wednesday night, authorities said.
Police shot the man after he allegedly pointed a gun at Boston officers and state troopers in the area of East Eighth Street, authorities said.
David Procopio, a spokesman for the State Police, said in a statement that troopers and Boston police went to Gates Street after a call about a man walking with a gun shortly after 9 p.m.
In the confrontation, said Procopio, “at least one of the police personnel, and possibly more, discharged their weapons in the ensuing exchange of fire.”
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Officer Katherine Shea, a Boston Police Department spokeswoman, said the suspect was a man in his 50s and that he was taken to Boston Medical Center with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
Boston police said the suspect pointed a weapon at officers and refused their commands to put it down.
Procopio said a Boston officer was injured in the confrontation and was taken to a city hospital.
He was not able to give any other details on the officer’s condition, and it was not immediately clear if the officer was shot, or by whom.
Boston police, however, said earlier in the evening that no officers were believed to have been shot.
Police said the incident took place at East Eighth and Old Harbor streets.
About two-dozen onlookers were gathered near the police tape on East Eighth, including Albert and Robin Suarez, who were visiting their son when the shooting occurred.
Albert Suarez, 47, said he did not hear any gunshots, but did see police flood the area.
He said that he was standing outside when “next thing
you know, all the lights” from the police vehicles were flashing.
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Robin Suarez added, “I know one thing: This is crazy. They need to stop all this violence.”
Procopio said that the use of force by police was under investigation.
“As it does in all serious use-of-force cases in Suffolk County, the DA’s office will ultimately rule on the propriety of the level of force used by officers,” he said.
Globe correspondent Derek J. Anderson contributed to this report. Travis Andersen can be reached at tandersen@ globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe. Haven Orecchio-Egresitz can be reached at haven.egresitz @globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @HavenTaylor.