Mesa officers fatally shot a man driving a stolen vehicle in Tempe on Friday morning, police said.

The incident began when Mesa Police Department officers found a man slumped over the wheel of a car in a Panda Express parking lot near Dobson Road and University Drive, police spokeswoman Irene Mahone said.

The car had been reported stolen and when officers gave commands to the man, he drove off, Mahone said.

A police helicopter helped officers on the ground track down the suspect, who was later found in a covered parking lot on Evergreen Road in Tempe. 

A second traffic stop was initiated, during which the police shooting occurred, Mahone said.

The man was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead. There are no additional suspects.

Mahone did not provide any information about what led up to the shooting, whether the man was armed or whether body camera footage captured the incident.

The Tempe Police Department will be handling the investigation of the incident, Mahone said.

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-8529.  Follow her on Twitter @brieannafrank. 

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