Police chief says shooting justified

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley says the shooting death of a knife-wielding man by police was justified.

The knife that 38-year-old Anthony Hayes was carrying "wasn't just a pocket knife," Riley told CNN Wednesday.

"This was a hunting knife," he said.

Riley said Hayes attacked a store clerk Monday and was told several times by police to put the knife down.

"Mr. Hayes was not, in fact, fired on until he attempted to stab a police officer," Riley told CNN.

Two sergeants and a patrol officer fired nine shots at Hayes, killing him, after he lunged at one officer who was joining others to deal with Hayes.

"They were attempting to form a perimeter, so that no citizens could have been taken as hostage, so that he could not run into another business where he could escalate that into a hostage situation," the superintendent said.

Riley said he did not know whether Hayes was mentally ill, as reported by some media.