MARTINEZ — Jurors at a coroner's inquest into the death of a Pittsburg man shot by police have determined that the man died at the hands of another, the legal definition of homicide.

Pittsburg police officers fatally shot Sean Paul Burns, 28, on Feb. 22 after Burns led them on a pursuit and then pointed a loaded gun at them during a stand-off in Port Costa, a police spokesman said.

Coroner's inquests are public hearings held as a matter of protocol for all officer-related and in-custody deaths in Contra Costa County. Jurors determine manner of death. They do not assign criminal or civil liability.

A coroner's jury Tuesday found that Burns died "at the hands of another, other than by accident," according to the Sheriff's Office. The jury ruled out accident, suicide and natural causes.

Burns' 27-year-old wife called police on the afternoon of the shooting to report that she had been physically abused by her husband and that he was suicidal. When police arrived at the couple's home intending to arrest Burns on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, spousal abuse, torture and false imprisonment, they found him sitting in his truck, refusing to get out.

Police said Burns pointed a gun at his head on numerous occasions during the vehicle pursuit that followed. Officers opened fire on a dead-end street in Port Costa when, they say, Burns turned the gun at them and inched toward the circle of patrol cars that had him

Burns died from multiple gunshot wounds that night at a hospital.