MADISON, Wis. -- Madison police said that an officer shot and killed a suspect on Wednesday.

Police Chief Noble Wray said the officer was investigating an armed robbery at a Cousins Subs restaurant on Park Street just before 5 p.m. Wednesday on Madison's south side.

A suspect displayed a handgun, demanded money and then fled the restaurant on foot with cash, authorities said.

Wray said the officer saw someone who matched the suspect description and tried to stop him. The chief said the officer and the suspect got into a struggle and the suspect then displayed a weapon, so the officer opened fire in the 1000 block of Whittier Street.

"From all indications, this appears to be a justified use of deadly force. The officer immediately, after using deadly force, attempted to use CCR. Our thoughts go out to the suspect's family. Our thoughts go out to the officer's family," Wray said.

The coroner pronounced the male suspect dead at the scene.

Police said the suspect shot and killed Wednesday night did have a handgun and that it was recovered at the scene.

Police said they believe the victim was responsible for robbing a Cousins Subs restaurant earlier that evening.

Investigators are checking to see whether victim's description matches other suspects identified in several other recent robberies.

Bill Hoppe, who lives in the neighborhood, said he saw an officer jump out of his squad car on Whittier Street and yell some commands at the suspect on the sidewalk. As the officer tried to restrain the man -- apparently trying to get the alleged robber's hands behind his back when the two began to struggle. He said as the two struggled, the suspect broke free, took a few steps away and spun around and lifted his arm up with "something in it."

Hoppe said he didn't specifically see a gun, but he said a "split second" later, the officer fired a shot and then very quickly, three more in rapid succession.

He said by the time he got home to try to call 911, a few squad cars were already on the scene. Hoppe said detectives talked to him about what he saw.

"I never saw anybody get shot before," said Hoppe.

The homeowner said crime isn't a concern in his neighborhood.

"We heard about three or four shots," said neighborhood resident Victoria Horn. "A little while later, a police officer came out and came back from between the buildings and was pretty shaken and was wiping blood of his hands."

Horn said she is shaken by not just the shooting but also the earlier crime.

"Finding out that it was a robbery and probably an armed robbery made it extra scary, so we got inside and figured we probably ought to lock the doors," Horn said.

The officer was transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He has been with the Madison Police Department for five years and has some police experience before that.

Police said the officer is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the district attorney's review of the incident, which is standard procedure in these situations.

Police officials said this is believed to be the first use of deadly force by the Madison Police Department since July 2007.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.