A man is dead after shooting at police officers in Wayne County on Wednesday .

Wayne County Sheriff Jody Ashley tells Darkhorse Press that Waynesboro Police Department responded to a home invasion around the 700 block of Wayne Street around 1:30 pm Wednesday.

Ashley said a man had broken a window to get into a home and then hidden in a closet inside.

The Waynesboro police chief and three officers went inside the home and heard movement and found the closet where the man was hiding. They ordered him to come out. He called to them and asked them not to shoot him, Ashley said.

When one of the officers went to move the clothing back in the closet so they could see him, a gun came out and the suspect began to fire on police. Ashley said the police chief was nearly struck in the head.

Officers returned fire and shot the suspect, who was the. taken to the Wayne General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Ashley said the officers were not injured, just shaken up.

“This is a very dangerous job,” he said.

The sheriff said the suspect is not someone he is familiar with.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the case, which is routine in officer involved shootings.

The identity of the suspect has not been released pending notification of the next of kin.