BELFIELD -- Three officers shot and killed a Belfield man Tuesday afternoon after he allegedly pointed a gun at them, according to the Stark County Sheriff's Department.
Officers from the Sheriff's Department, North Dakota Highway Patrol and Belfield Police Department fired at the man, Sheriff Clarence Tuhy said.
The man's friends identified him as Keith Newton, though authorities would not confirm his identity.
Officials would not release the names of the officers who shot Newton.
Tuhy said the incident began when officers responded to a residence north of Belfield after a man was shot.
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Officers were investigating a residence on Highway 85. The mailbox there had the words "Tim Weiss" on it. Friends and family have identified the injured man as Weiss, but authorities also would not confirm his identity Tuesday night.
The injured man was transported to the hospital for his injuries, Tuhy said.
When officers responded to the residence, they saw a vehicle leaving, Tuhy said.
"They tried to stop him and he wouldn't stop, so a pursuit ensued," Tuhy said.
The chase ended at the south end of Belfield at a warehouse just across the street from St. Bernard's Cemetery.
"When he exited his vehicle, he had a handgun in his hand and as he pointed it at officers -- the officers ended up shooting him," Tuhy said.
He added the man was shot multiple times and died at the scene.
It is unclear if Newton fired his gun, Tuhy said.
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Robert Dorval of Belfield said he knew Newton for most of his life.
"They should have kind of handled him in a different way because he wasn't somebody to hurt anybody," Dorval said.
Dorval believes Newton and Weiss were friends, but had gotten into a fight. He described Newton as a good man.
"He'd do anything for you," Dorval said.
Pat Calkins, who was working at a Belfield gas station when the shootings occurred, said she saw officers chasing the vehicle.
"They were just following him with their lights going and sirens going," Calkins said. "We heard something had gone on up north, so we figured they were chasing him."
Several law enforcement agencies responded to the incident, including the Billings County Sheriff's Department and the Dickinson Police Department.
