Steph Solis

USA TODAY

Boston police shot and killed a man wearing body armor and wielding an assault rifle who critically injured two officers responding to a domestic disturbance call late Wednesday, according to Police Commissioner William Evans.

Evans said the two officers — one a 28-year veteran and the other a 12-year veteran of the Boston police force — were hospitalized in “extremely critical condition.”

“We’re asking for everyone’s prayers to help pull them through,” he told WBZ radio.

Nine officers were treated for minor injuries, stress and trauma.

At a morning news conference, Evans said the gunman, identified as Kirk Figueroa, 33, opened fire on officers responding to a report of a person with a gun around 11 p.m. Wednesday in East Boston.

Evans described a "hectic scene" as officers rushed to pull injured colleagues to safety while under fire.

“Some of them were involved in the exchange of gunfire, some involved in applying their hands to the wounds of these officers,” Evans told reporters.

Evans said police used deadly force on the gunman as a last resort. "We had to do what we had to do,” he said.

“I commend the officers. They moved in and neutralized the threat pretty quick (so) that no one else got killed,” he told reporters.

The district attorney’s office said it will investigate the use of deadly force, as is standard protocol.

Hours earlier, police officials honored the department's first Hispanic officer killed in the line of duty, Jose Maceira. They announced Maceira, who was shot in 1974 and died in 1977 as a result of his injuries, would be added to the BPD’s Memorial Wall of Honor in police headquarters.

Contributing: The Associated Press