LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A northeast Arkansas police officer was justified when she fatally shot a man in early April because the man disregarded the officer’s orders and attacked her, and she won’t face criminal charges, a prosecutor said.
Blytheville police officer Leann Norman shot and killed 35-year-old Marzues Scott on April 7 .
Scott Ellington, the 2nd Judicial District’s prosecuting attorney, gave investigators his decision in a letter Friday, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported.
Ellington cited an Arkansas law that permits officers to use deadly force in self-defense.
Norman responded to calls about a disturbance at a convenience store when police found Scott, identified as a suspect, across the street at an inn, authorities said.
Police noted that Scott attacked Norman, striking her in the face and head before knocking her to the ground. Norman subsequently shot him multiple times, authorities said.
“After these blows, Scott continued to pursue and show aggression towards her,” Ellington wrote. Based on that, “along with his repeated defiance of her commands, Officer Norman was reasonable in believing that her life was in danger when she fired her service weapon.”
The Arkansas State Police investigated the shooting and forwarded its conclusions to the prosecutor’s office before Ellington’s decision.
Norman’s current standing with Blytheville police was not immediately known.
Police Chief Ross Thompson hasn’t returned messages seeking comment.
___
Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.