Video of Fontana officer punching armed suspect in deadly police shooting under investigation

FONTANA, Calif. (KABC) -- A suspect armed with a metal pipe was shot and killed by Fontana police Tuesday afternoon, and video of a disturbing confrontation is now under investigation.

The incident happened around 2:17 p.m. near Cherry Avenue and Baseline Road. Police said officers responded to the area after receiving reports about a man armed with a metal pipe.

The suspect, who has not been identified, had reportedly assaulted a civilian with the pipe and damaged some property, police said.

"The officer attempted to de-escalate the situation and gave multiple verbal commands, but the suspect refused to comply," said Fontana police in a press release. "During the encounter, the suspect attacked the officer with the pipe, resulting in a lethal force response from the officer."

Video of the confrontation shows an officer punching the suspect, who was seen holding the pipe.

The suspect was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. Police said the officer suffered minor injuries and was treated at a nearby hospital.

"The Fontana Police Department is aware of a video circulating on social media that depicts a portion of the incident. It is important to note that this video only shows a small portion of the event and not the event in its entirety," said police in a statement. "The Fontana Police Department is conducting an internal administrative investigation into the entirety of the incident."

Meanwhile, police released a still photo from the officer's body-worn camera they say shows the suspect's actions "immediately prior to the lethal force encounter."

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department was contacted and will be handling the investigation into the lethal force encounter.