A man with a pellet gun that looked like a real firearm was shot by police Friday in New York City, police said.

A plainclothes narcotics detective overheard an argument in which the man said he was getting a gun from his truck, said Philip Rivera, commanding officer of patrol borough Bronx, at a press conference late Friday.

Rivera said an officer identified himself as police while the man was walking with what appeared to be a firearm, and that the man fired one shot at the officer, apparently with the pellet gun. Two officers fired 10 shots, hitting the man five times in the torso. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

However, Rivera said the preliminary investigation was working to determine if the man fired at the officers before or after they identified themselves as police and told him to halt.

One of the two officers who opened fire was wearing a vest that identified him as law enforcement, Rivera said.

He said the man had 10 arrests, some felonies, as well as a previous assault conviction. He did not provide any further details.

(AP)