Saskatoon police fatally shot a man who allegedly lunged at an officer with a knife taped to his hand, the city's police chief said at a press conference Saturday.

Chief Clive Weighill said three police officers went to a basement apartment in a house in the city's east side early Saturday after a woman called 911 and hung up.

A dispatcher called back several times and a crying woman finally answered and said she was fine, but police were dispatched to the home to investigate.

Weighill said the officers arrived at the front door of the apartment shortly before 3 a.m. CT and found a crying woman and a man armed with two knives. Officers drew their weapons and shut the door on the man.

"He ran at the door from the inside and actually broke it from its frame," the chief said.

"The officers were attempting to hold the door in place from the other side and the male subject was flailing the knives through the open portion of the door towards the officers."

According to Weighill, the man finally stepped away from the door and ran into another part of the apartment, enabling one of the officers to grab the woman and pull her to safety in a nearby stairwell. The man then rushed at the officer from behind, with a knife taped to his hand, Weighill said.

The other two officers fired at the man, killing him. 

Police have not released the man's name.

Inquest will probe shooting

The RCMP has been asked to oversee the Saskatoon police's investigation into the shooting, since it involved Saskatoon officers. The coroner's office will hold an inquest, as is customary in all fatal police shootings.

Weighill said the three officers will return to work when they feel they are ready. They each have between four and seven years of experience on the force.

Weighill said there was a history of domestic violence between the suspect and the woman. The man had been charged Dec. 3 with assaulting her and was ordered by the courts not to contact her.

The man was scheduled to appear in court on the charge on Dec. 11, but never showed and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

With files the Canadian Press