Neighbors in St. Petersburg, FL., became involved in an argument over a dog; one neighbor woke up to hear his dog being harassed by his neighbor, the argument that ensued landed both men on the front porch of the harasser, where a pistol was flashed.

At that point according to the report from WTSP, the neighbor backed off and called 911.

Police say when they got to the home, Sexton came out of the house and had apparently been drinking.

When he was told to get on the ground, "Sexton began to comply with their instructions, but then suddenly pulled a black semi-automatic handgun from his pants pocket and pointed it at one of the patrol officers," according to a news release from the St. Petersburg Police Department.



Three of the officers fired at Sexton, killing him on his front porch.

Police say Sexton's girlfriend and their 10-year-old son were in the house at the time. It's not clear whether they watched the shooting happen.

Sexton is the fourth person shot and killed by St. Petersburg Police this year, St. Petersburg Police Dept. spokesman Bill Proffitt said.

The officers involved will be on paid leave while the police department and the State Attorney's Office investigate to make sure the incident meets the legal standard of a justified shooting.