( CNN ) An officer , responding to reports of a suspicious person , shot and killed an unarmed man who was running around in a metro Atlanta apartment complex naked . The officer fired two shots when the man charged at him , said Cedric Alexander , the public safety director of DeKalb County . But given that the man was not carrying a weapon , the police department immediately turned over the case to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations for an independent probe . `` What I have requested here [ is ] a result of what 's going on currently across this country as it relates to police shootings , '' Alexander told reporters . The officer was white ; the deceased man was African-American , Alexander said . The incident took place Monday afternoon at an apartment complex in Chamblee , a suburb of Atlanta . Someone called 911 to report a man `` acting deranged , knocking on doors and crawling around naked , '' Alexander said . When the officer arrived , the man charged at him , Alexander said . `` The officer called him to stop while stepping backward , drew his weapon and fired two shots , '' he said . The man , struck twice in the upper body , died . Police later learned he was a resident at the complex . `` I can only reasonably assume that if he was running around the apartment complex naked , I believe we can make the assumption there may have been some mental health experience that he might have been having , '' Alexander said . DeKalb County police officers undergo some degree of training on how to deal with the mentally ill . But this , and other incidents , highlight the need for more , the public safety director said . `` That 's becoming more and more apparent , '' Alexander said . `` We have already , as many departments have begun to do , look at how to expand our mental health training when we find it certainly necessary to do so . Because it appears that we 're seeing more and more of these cases across the country in which police are engaging with those who appear to be in distress . '' Police did not release the officer 's name , but said the seven-year veteran was placed on administrative leave . During the incident , the officer had access to his stun gun and pepper spray , Alexander said . Why he chose to draw his weapon will come out during the investigation . `` I think in all fairness we need to wait and see what the outcome of the investigation is because I ca n't tell you , beyond what I have told you so far , what kind of measures that officer may have taken , '' he said . As fatal police shootings come under increased scrutiny in the current climate , police departments also appear to be more forthcoming in proactively releasing information for transparency 's sake . Such is the case in Madison , Wisconsin , where Madison Police Chief Mike Koval has been out front and outspoken about the shooting death of 19-year-old Tony Robinson at the hands of an officer . And it seems to be the case in this DeKalb County incident . `` If you look at the state in this country and the things we 're going through right now across this country with police-involved shooting , certainly it 's a concern to many Americans . And there has certainly been recommendations that have been made in regards to moving towards more independent type of investigations , '' he said .
Police : Officer fired two shots when the man charged at him . Comment: