Around 5:30 p.m. Sunday, police responded to reports of a man publicly loading ammunition into a rifle-style firearm in the area of Broadway and Second Street, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
The suspect, identified only as a man in his 30s, engaged in an altercation with officers and was shot, the Police Department said. The firearm was later discovered to be a replica.
The wounded man was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
No bystanders or officers were injured during the incident.
The California attorney general's office is investigating the officer-involved shooting, according to the Police Department.
City News Service contributed to this report.