Man shot dead after pointing laser and firing at police helicopter

A man in the US has been shot dead after pointing a laser and firing a rifle at a police helicopter earlier this week.

Footage released from Michigan State Police shows the man aiming a laser and then coming out with a 'long gun'.

In the footage recorded from the helicopter, the pilot said: "We got somebody hitting us with a green laser on the rear of the house, upper window.

"Now there’s somebody standing at the back door. Right now, they’re in the backyard.

"He actually might, he might be armed.

"He almost looks like he’s holding a long gun pointed at us right now. Yeah, he’s shooting at us right now.

"He’s firing rounds. He’s got a long gun, extended magazine."

Following that, police locked down the area and corned the suspect to ensure he did not cause any harm to anyone.

They engaged in a crossfire with the suspect, as two state police troopers moved in and shot the man dead.

Speaking to Fox 2, Michigan State Police Lieutenant Mike Shaw said: "If the pilot had been blinded and crashed into this neighborhood, it would have been a lot worse.

"People don’t realise the seriousness of firing a laser at our aircraft or any aircraft.

Troopers returned fire - the suspect was hit and went down.

"We had our emergency support team show up, and went up to approach the house.

"There were concerns because he was still armed and was laying there."

At the abandoned home that the man had been staying in, they found 'multiple weapons and ammunition stashes', which concerned authorities.

Investigators found six firearms inside the property, including the one used to fire at the helicopter.

No one was injured as a result of the incident, neither was the helicopter damaged.

Michigan State Police added on Twitter: "The two troopers involved this incident have nine and two years of service. They are currently on leave.

"This investigation is ongoing and when completed will be submitted to the prosecutor for review."