Man suffering mental health crisis dead after stabbing a puppy, himself inside St. Louis business

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - A man is dead Wednesday afternoon in an officer-involved shooting after he repeatedly stabbed a puppy and himself inside a St. Louis office building.

According to St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the incident took place at the 5700 block of Oakland Avenue.

Police say at around 3 p.m. Wednesday, a man was wandering around the Renaissance Festival building while holding a puppy. The man had been staying at a Hampton Inn and Suites nearby .The man was walking around the business and was sitting in various chairs and desks in the building.

When officers arrived later on, the man, who appeared to be in "a mental health crisis", the man pulled out a knife and began stabbing the puppy.

Officers initially used a stun gun, but it was ineffective as the man was able to break free.

The man proceeded to head over to the stairwell, where he sat down and began stabbing himself. When he stood up, an officer, who feared for his life after witnessing the incident, fired off his service weapon.

The man was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police did not disclose the cause of death, but they did originally say he was rushed to hospital with a self-inflicted stab wound and suffered a gunshot wound.

Police say the puppy, a young pitbull, is expected to survive and was taken to the nearby Humane Society of Missouri for treatment.

Police say no officers were injured.

This story will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.