Texas officer kills man flat

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Dallas PD / Twitter

A police officer in the US state of Texas shot dead a man in an apartment after mistakenly believed that he was in his own home, police said.

The Dallas officer, whose name was not revealed, entered the apartment after his shift Thursday night and clashed with the victim, a 26-year-old man.

The victim was treated on the spot and taken to the hospital where he died later.

The officer was put on leave while the police office and district prosecutor's office investigate.

The victim was identified as Botham Shem Jean by the Dallas County Medical Examiner, local media reported Friday.

The shooting occurred in an upscale apartment complex, just one block from the police department, south of downtown Dallas.

According to a statement by the police, the officer entered the unit to which she thought she belonged and saw Jean inside.

The authorities did not provide more details about the course of the altercation, but the policeman finally shot his gun and hit Jean.

The officer on duty, still in uniform and uninjured, called the police to report the shooting.

Officers who responded provided first aid at the scene before Jean was taken to Baylor University Medical Center and declared dead.

At a press conference Friday morning, Sergeant Warren Mitchell of the Dallas Police Force said that they had not yet interviewed the agent involved.

Sgt Mitchell did not comment on whether the officer had confused Jean with an intruder when she shot him.

The police did not talk to other people at that time and did not say that there were witnesses.

"We still have a lot to do in this investigation," he told reporters.

The Dallas Police Service and District Attorney's Office are conducting a joint investigation.