A father says his son, who was pointing an empty pellet gun at officers, was fatally shot by police in East Northport Sunday night.

According to police, a 911 call was received around 10 p.m. reporting a domestic incident at a home on Grant Street.

Police say when they responded, 26-year-old Jeffrey McClure pointed what appeared to be a rifle at them and threatened to shoot numerous times.

Suffolk police say when officers arrived, McClure pointed a gun at the officers and then exited the house. Police say McClure made his way up to the roof with what appeared to be a hunting rifle and ignored commands from officers to drop the gun.

The weapon turned out to be a pellet gun.

Suffolk Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart says the force police used was appropriate in this incident.

But the 26-year-old's father does not agree. In a phone interview, he says he called 911 asking for his son to be taken to a hospital to get the psychiatric help he needed.

"With no negotiating, they didn't ask me or anything, they just shot and killed him -- 26 years old. I called for help and this is the help that I get," said McClure's father.

His father said his wife told the police that it was an empty pellet gun and that they never heard their son threaten to shoot officers.

"I think they did the wrong job. I mean why can't they talk to people instead of killing them dead," said McClure's father.

The incident is under investigation.

In a statement,  the Suffolk police said  "The Suffolk County Police Department expresses its sympathies to the McClure family. As with any police response, it is always our goal to have a peaceful conclusion. Upon police arrival, a resident of the home indicated to officers that Jeffrey McClure had access to other weapons. The incident is still under investigation but the preliminary investigation determined that Jeffrey McClure pointed, what appeared to be a rifle, from a roof while threatening to shoot officers. He ignored officers' requests to drop the gun."

The McClures told News 12 that they are considering legal action against the Suffolk County Police Department.