Rockford police shooting: Officers fatally shoot man armed with knife at his home, officials say

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WLS) -- Rockford police fatally shot a man, who was armed with a knife, at his apartment early Sunday morning, Winnebago County State's Attorney J. Hanley's office said.

A resident in the 1300 block of Charles Street called 911 just after 12:10 a.m. to report her neighbor saying things like "help me" and "kill me" repeatedly, Hanley's office said.

Two Rockford police officers responded to the building, and called the landlord to get access to the common area stairwell, Hanley's office said. Officers then encountered Patrick R. Kirby at the door of his apartment.

Kirby had a knife and a boxcutter in his hands, Hanley's office said. The officers told Kirby to drop the knife, but he advanced toward the officers and refused to drop the items. That's when one of the officers fired three rounds at Kirby, killing him.

The Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force arrived on the scene and took over the investigation, Hanley's office said. Officers from Rockford Police Department will not participate in that investigation.

Hanley's office said their information is preliminary and the investigation is ongoing. Investigators will begin interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence from the scene and obtaining video evidence, including officers' bodycam footage.

Officials did not immediately provide further information about the shooting.