PORTSMOUTH

Portsmouth police have identified a man who they said was shot and killed by an officer Thursday evening after he lunged at the officer with a knife.

Police identified the man this morning as Christopher W. Bacome, 29, of Toledo, Ohio.

Portsmouth police will do a criminal and administrative review of the shooting, said Ann Hope, a spokeswoman for the police department.

Police were called at 7:03 p.m. to the 3600 block of Gateway Drive by a family member who feared Bacome was going to kill himself. The family member lives in another state.

When officers arrived at an apartment at the Westwind Apartments, a witness told them Bacome was locked inside a bathroom and there was a lot of blood on the floor, police said.

When police tried to get inside the bathroom to help him, Bacome came out with a knife, the statement said.

Officers tried to convince Bacome to put the knife down, police said.

“The subject then lunged at the officer with the knife at which time the officer fired, striking the subject,” the statement said.

Police gave medical aid until paramedics arrived, the statement said. Paramedics pronounced Bacome dead. The police department did not say how many officers were in the apartment.

Police said they are not releasing the name of the officer.

Typically, an officer involved in a shooting is placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, Hope said.

It was not clear Friday if the officer in the Thursday case had been placed on leave.

Phylena Livingston, who lives in a building nearby at Westwind Apartments, said she awoke when she heard sirens.

“I was sleeping and I heard the two shots,” she said. She looked outside and saw police officers everywhere. A man and a woman were led from the apartment and sat on the curb outside, she said.

Roy Wilson, who also lives nearby, was not home when the shooting happened. He said he talked occasionally to the man who was killed, who had a girlfriend who often stayed with him.

“He seemed like a peaceful guy,” Wilson said. “He would say, ‘Hey, how you doing? What’s going on?’”

Patrick Wilson, (757) 446-2957, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com