The man Scottsdale police shot and killed after he threatened officers with pool cues was a former Marine with two tours of duties in Iraq, according to family members.

Jason Edward Prostrollo, 25, was shot dead early Saturday after officers were called to the north Scottsdale home of Prostrollo's acquaintances, police said.

About 4 a.m., police received a call from a 35-year-old woman saying Prostrollo, a guest in her home, was drunk and fighting with her 50-year-old boyfriend, and had a knife.

Prostrollo worked in reconnaissance as a sergeant in the Marines and was discharged two years ago, said Prostrollo's father, Warren Prostrollo of Paradise Valley.

Warren didn't have any additional information about what happened the morning of the shooting, but he said the account of Prostrollo's actions in a police report "sounds so unlike him."

As police were responding to the woman's call about 4:20 a.m., a cab driver in the area of 12000 N. 135th Place said a passenger had held a knife to his neck and forced him back to the woman's home, police said.

When officers arrived, the residents came out of the house unharmed and Prostrollo came out moments later with a pool cue in each hand, police said. Prostrollo was holding the cues in a threatening manner and ignored commands to drop the cues and stop walking, police said. A K-9 officer released his dog, Raider, which bit Prostrollo but didn't stop him from continuing to advance toward officers.

Scottsdale police Lt. Ron Bayne shot Prostrollo and killed him. Bayne, a 19-year-police veteran, accidentally shot the dog, which is expected to make a full recovery.

Sgt. Mark Clark, a Scottsdale police spokesman, called the shooting a "split-second decision" because the situation quickly changed to make the officers feel their lives were in danger. A Taser or pepper spray was not used because of the windy conditions that morning, Clark said. Officers knew Prostrollo had a large hunting knife that he had used to threaten the cab driver earlier in the evening, Clark said.

The incidents surrounding Prostrollo's death surprised his father, even though the Brophy College Preparatory graduate had struggled since leaving the service.

"There was nothing in Jason's background that would have led anybody to accept that what happened occurred without some provocation," Warren said. "As a Marine, he served two tours in Iraq and saw and was trained for things that you and I as ordinary citizens can't quite comprehend."

In recent months, his son's life was finally coming together, Warren said, adding that the younger Prostrollo had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"When many of our veterans get out of armed forces, the challenges are difficult," Warren said. "Finding jobs and social support has proven difficult for Jason and hundreds and thousands of his counterparts."

Prostrollo received a DUI in Scottsdale in 2010 and was arrested for driving on a suspended license in 2011, police said.

"I knew that he drank, and there's no denying that he had that DUI," Warren said. "Nobody's going to pretend that wasn't the case."

Prostrollo had re-enrolled at Scottsdale Community College, with the goal of transferring to Arizona State University and eventually attending law school.

In the years since his return to Arizona, he had become an avid pool player. That's how Prostrollo met the couple from Scottsdale, Warren said.

"He was an accomplished athlete and he was exceptionally intelligent," Warren said. "After his military time, he had a burning love for the state of Arizona and he really wanted to stay here."

Reporter Lindsey Lucero contributed to this article.