2 shot dead in U.S. traffic stops

HOUSTON, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Two men were shot dead by police officers during separate traffic stops in the southern U.S. state of Alabama over the past two days, authorities said.

Drew Patterson Banks, 41, was killed Monday in northern Alabama by local police officers who tried to pull him over after identifying his vehicle as stolen, said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency in a statement.

After a police pursuit on multiple highways, Banks exited the car, holding what officers believed to be a handgun, said an AP report. He was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. It was later revealed that he had been holding a realistic-looking replica firearm.

On Sunday evening, Logan Tyler Swanson, 24, reportedly engaged in a physical altercation with two police officers during a traffic stop in southwestern Alabama.

During the confrontation, Swanson pulled out a gun, prompting the officers to shoot, said the Baldwin County Major Crimes Unit in a statement. He was also pronounced dead at the scene.