A man threatening suicide was shot by Lee County sheriff’s deputies after authorities say he pointed his gun at them.

Wesley Floyd Poole’s gun turned out to be a pellet gun that resembled a real firearm, authorities said Tuesday.

The 52-year-old Phenix City man is recovering.

Lee County deputies received a 911 call at 9:10 p.m. Monday from a man – now identified as Poole – stating he was going to kill himself, said sheriff’s Captain Jimmy Taylor.

When communications officers tried to talk to him, he would not give them any information and hung up the phone.

Deputies arrived at his location in the 100 block of Lee Road 482 and met with a concerned neighbor who told them Poole was walking around his home with a gun.

At 9:24 p.m., deputies saw Poole outside of the residence with a gun to his head threatening to kill himself.

Lee County negotiators were notified and responded to the scene.

After about 1 ½ hours of negotiations, Taylor said, Poole pointed the gun at deputies.

Deputies fired at him, striking him in the shoulder. He was taken to Piedmont Hospital in Columbus where he is listed in stable condition.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigators were summoned to lead the probe, which is standard when law enforcement shoots someone.