Updated at 1:30 p.m.: Police: Suspect shot and killed after charging troopers with knife

The incident began about 2:30 a.m. near Six Mile and Napier roads in Wayne County’s Northville Township when police were called to investigate a house fire that appeared to have been intentionally set, said Lt. Joel Allen, commander of the Brighton post of the Michigan State Police.

"We know there had been some arsons or attempted arsons in that area in the past month or so," Allen said, adding that earlier media reports that the incident involved a car bombing are incorrect.

As Northville Township police arrived, a man fled from them in a red pickup truck and shot at and struck the police car. State police later found a .22 caliber revolver in the truck, Allen said.

Police chased the car west on Six Mile Road. As the suspect crossed into Washtenaw County, two state police cars from the Brighton post joined the chase.

The suspect lost control of the truck on the icy gravel road and crashed into the front of a house in the 7900 block of Dixboro where Six Mile makes a 90-degree turn to the north before continuing west a hundred or so yards north of the house.

“At that point (the suspect) exited on foot, ran down the road a short ways, produced a knife and charged one of the troopers … who fired one round and the subject was deceased at the scene,” Allen said.

Investigators from the Michigan State Police crime lab processed the scene throughout Tuesday morning. By 10 a.m., a wrecker had towed away the pickup truck and police cleared the scene and opened the intersection back up to traffic.

Allan said the trooper was authorized to use deadly force in the situation. Still, the trooper has been placed on administrative leave as part of normal protocol as the matter is investigated, he added.

Annette Kovala and Kevin McGraw were asleep when the truck plowed into Kovala's house.

Kovala said the man was so close to her, she was sure he could hear her when she screamed.

"I think I scared the guy," she said.

Police were expected to release more information Tuesday afternoon.

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