A man was shot dead by police after attempting to attack a cell tower in the Mississippi city of Pascagoula.

WAPT reports that 59-year-old David Ray Wyrick was engaged in a shootout with law enforcement officials after he attempted to blow up a 911 communications tower last Thursday (April 16).

According to police, Wyrick used a stolen truck loaded with chemical tanks with the intention of damaging a communications tower behind the Jackson County Emergency Operations Center on Convent Avenue in Pascagoula.

Police said that Wyrick opened the valve of a propane tank in the back of the truck, causing it to ignite the escaping gas.

In a video of the incident, shared via WLOX, police officers are heard shouting at Wyrick to "put his gun down," while bullets are exchanged on both sides.

An officer can also be seen escorting a passerby away from the scene to safety during the gunfight.

"Jackson County deputies, criminal investigators, as well as members of the Jackson County Metro Enforcement Team, responded to that location and were engaged in gunfire by Wyrick. Those same deputies and officers returned fire, and after a brief gun battle, Wyrick was hit multiple times and died at the scene," said Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter.

The suspect was previously arrested in Florida last year for an attack on a local sheriff's sergeant. His motivations for attempting to attack the tower are not known.

Police added that they deploy K9s (dog unit) to sweep the area for any potential explosive devices.