A Selma police officer shot and killed a hatchet-wielding, middle-aged man on Griffin Avenue Wednesday after responding to a disturbance call.

Selma Chief of Police William Riley said police were called to Church’s Chicken on Broad Street at 2:19 p.m. after receiving a disturbance call. Once on the scene, officers found the man in an abandoned building at the intersection of Washington Street and Griffin Avenue, Riley said.

“Officers approached the individual, the individual produces a hatchet and pursuant to trying to get the individual to drop the weapon the suspect turns and rushes one of the officers,” he said. “The officer fired one round and struck the suspect. The suspect dropped to the ground and was pronounced deceased.”

Riley said he wasn’t able to provide the name of the victim or the police officer involved. The case was immediately turned over to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation for further review.

The officer who shot the unidentified man will be placed on paid administrative leave while the Alabama Bureau of Investigation reviews the incident, Riley said. The police officer will also be provided counseling.

Riley said the officer was protecting himself in the shooting.

“Nobody wants to see a loss of life, but, however, in this line of business — law enforcement — this may happen,” he said. “Our officers are trained to protect themselves as well as the public and in this particular case an officer was approached by an individual with a hatchet and when the individual came at the officer, the officer discharged his firearm.”