Man wielding hatchet fatally shot by Orange County sheriff’s deputies

MIDWAY CITY, Calif. (AP) — Orange County sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man Wednesday as he approached them with a rusty hatchet in his hand, authorities said.

Shortly before 5 a.m., deputies went to a home in the Midway City area after reports of a burglary and someone vandalizing cars, the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

The arriving deputies were directed to a house where they found a man on a nearby sidewalk who was holding a hatchet, the statement said.

“Based on preliminary information, it is believed that the suspect advanced toward the deputies armed with the hatchet,” and they opened fire, the statement said.

A photo of the weapon released by the Sheriff’s Department showed a wooden-handled weapon with a rusty blade.

The man died at the scene. His identity wasn’t immediately released.