Law officers in Northern California shot and killed a Whitefish man Thursday after he got into a “violent struggle” with them, attempted to drive away in a patrol car, grabbed an officer’s stun gun and tried to hurt a police dog, authorities said. 

Steven Hughes Henning, 32, of Whitefish, died at the scene in Weed, Calif., after being shot by two officers.

According to a press release from the Weed Police Department, the confrontation began when Henning started a fire on a wood porch in front of the Greyhound bus stop in Weed.

When approached by an officer, Henning refused to put out the fire and “aggressively and violently resisted arrest, despite an attempt by the officer to subdue him with a Taser,” the release states.

As the altercation escalated, Henning jumped into the officer’s patrol car and attempted to steal the vehicle.

The officer used pepper spray in an attempt to subdue Henning as a “volatile struggle occurred inside the patrol unit,” the release states.

Henning then left the patrol car and fled on foot after picking up the officer’s Taser that fell to the ground during the struggle.

Officers found Henning later that night near a freeway overpass. A police canine unit was brought in and Henning again “violently resisted” and attempted to injure the police dog, the release states.

“During the extremely violent encounter the level of violence exhibited by [Henning] escalated,” the release states.

Both a Weed Police officer and Siskiyou County deputy shot Henning.

The case is under investigation by the Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department and Weed Police Department. Both officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave.

Henning’s brother Cody said his brother had mental health issues and he thinks the use of deadly force was unjustified.

In 2008, Henning was sentenced in Flathead County District Court to six years of probation after he led Whitefish Police on a high-speed chase through downtown.

Henning was arrested on Christmas Day 2007 after he allegedly threatened his parents with a sledgehammer. His parents subsequently bailed him out of Flathead County Detention Center.

The parents called 911 for help two days later after Henning allegedly threatened them, kicked in a door, broke into a gun cabinet, stole a .357 magnum handgun and took off with the parents’ Dodge pickup truck.

Police chased Henning at speeds reaching 80 mph and later arrested him.

Henning admitted being under the influence of cocaine and Ecstasy during that incident.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.