An undercover Los Angeles police officer shot and killed a man who department officials said tried to rob him on a downtown street.

The shooting was reported about 12:20 p.m. near the intersection of 5th and Spring streets.

Irene Fertik, a freelance photographer who lives on Spring Street, was returning home from grand jury duty and was about to cross the street at Fifth and Spring Street when she heard two shots.

"I looked up and saw an undercover cop with his gun out pointed at the fallen man," Fertik said. "There was no blood and the man was facing down."

Fertik pulled out her iPhone and started snapping shots. Meanwhile, a crowd was gathering in the area and people were asking the officer, who was showing his badge, why he shot the suspect.

She said the officer who fired the shots yelled, "He's got a knife under him!" Fertik said. She noted that the officer was angry that she had photographed the scene, telling her, "Shame on you for photographing a dying man."

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-- Andrew Blankstein