The man armed with a knife who was shot by officers in downtown Reno has been identified as Marcus Lee Lewis.

Lewis was shot by police early Sunday morning in the area of North Virginia and East 5th streets after refusing to listen to officer's commands to drop a large knife and then leading them on a brief chase.

The call originated as a welfare check for a man standing in the road without shoes armed with a large knife. When police approached Lewis, he ran from them around the downtown corridor.

After unsuccessfully using non-lethal force officers resorted to shooting Lewis due to concern over public safety for those in downtown including themselves.

Lewis was taken to a hospital for treatment where he's currently in critical but stable condition.

He's being charged with resisting a public officer with a dangerous weapon and walking along the highway. He's expected to be booked into the Washoe County jail once he's released from the hospital.

The Sparks Police Department has taken over the investigation as part of the regional officer-involved shooting protocol.