A cop shot and killed a 22-year-old man who pointed an imitation handgun at him outside a Brooklyn elementary school today, police said.

"The cop said, He pulled a gun on me," said resident Maureen Quinn, who rushed to her front door after hearing several shots fired outside on Knapp Street.

Quinn said she saw the man who had been shot by the cop lying face-down in the middle of Knapp Street. The dead man was identified as George DAmato Jr.

Police sources said someone called 911 call around 2:50 p.m. complaining of a man threatening passers-by with a gun outside of PS 194, where students had been dismissed about 10 minutes before.

One uniformed officer arrived at the scene to find DAmato holding what appeared to be a silver handgun, police said.

When the Gerritsen Beach resident pointed it at the cop, the office yelled, "Drop it! Drop it!" law-enforcement sources said.

After DAmato failed to comply, the cop fired three shots, hitting him, police said.

DAmato was taken to Coney Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police released a photo of the gun that DAmato had been holding, which showed it to be a fake weapon.

His devastated dad, George DAmato Sr., said his son who "had minor scrapes with the law, nothing serious" worked at Duane Reade but yesterday had told him "he wanted a day off."

"I told him to go to work," the father said.

"I am retired law-enforcement myself. I know what its like. I cant blame the officer. He did what he had to do," the dad said.