Security Officer Shoots Man Armed With Sharp Objects Outside Federal Courthouse in Philly

A court security officer shot a man who federal investigators said got out of a minivan holding sharp objects and approached the officer in front of the federal courthouse in Philadelphia Tuesday morning.

The incident began around 9:30 a.m. along 7th Street between Market and Arch streets in Center City when a security officer for the nearby federal courthouse approached a minivan parked in a restricted zone intended for law enforcement and security personnel, federal authorities said.

The officer opened fire on the armed man after he got out of the illegally parked van holding "two edged weapons" and refused to follow the officer's directions to drop the weapons, Robert Clark, with the U.S. Marshals office in Eastern Pennsylvania, said.

The officer said he feared for his safety, Clark said.

The armed man was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery, Clark said. He is currently recovering at the hospital.

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Investigators -- including U.S. Marshals -- blocked off 7th Street past 11 a.m. as they searched clues. Drivers, bikers and pedestrians should be prepared to avoid the area which is near a cluster of federal buildings - including the detention center, a courthouse and the building that the FBI's Philadelphia field office.

Some clothing and what appeared to be scissors and sharp objects could be seen on the ground next to a cone outside the buildings. They also appeared to be focused on a minivan parked along the curb.

The court security officers are contractors with the U.S. Marshals Office, Clark said.

The man wasn't initially charged, but authorities were looking into charging him with assault on a federal officer, Clark said.