Lynn officer fatally shoots knife-wielding man

By Globe Staff

A Lynn police officer early this morning shot and killed a knife-wielding man who advanced toward him and ignored warnings to stop and drop his weapon, prosecutors said.

The Essex district attorney's office gave this account, in a statement released today, of the confrontation that led to the shooting of Michael Addesa, 34, of East Boston:

The officer spotted Addesa acting suspiciously at about 2:20 a.m. at the intersection of Commercial and Alley Streets.

The officer, whose name wasn't released, got out of his car and ordered Addesa to stop. The officer pursued Addesa on foot, down Alley Street. Addesa stopped and confronted the officer with a knife. The officer ordered him to drop it, but he refused and advanced toward the officer.

Addesa ignored a second warning and continued advancing in a threatening manner. The officer fired, striking Addesa once in the chest. Addesa was pronounced dead at 2:45 a.m. at Salem Hospital.

Prosecutors also said Addesa had "an extensive criminal record of violence" and had slit one of his wrists earlier in the evening at his girlfriend's home.

The district attorney's office is investigating the case, along with the Lynn police.