A man reported to have extremist Islamic leanings attacked four New York police officers with a hatchet, wounding two of them before being shot dead.

The man, identified in the US media as Zale Thompson, had posted several statements on YouTube and Facebook that hinted at his extremist leanings.

Four police officers in the city's Queens borough were posing for a photograph when the man walked up and attacked them.

One officer was hit in the arm and another in the head before the officers shot and killed the man.