2 Murray police officers cleared for firing shots at suspects

"I knew that something had to be done and I couldn't just stand there and keep giving verbal commands," Pearson said in the letter. "He'd been given verbal commands for 30 seconds, 40 seconds before then. He had plenty of time to comply, but I thought he was going to shoot me."

According to the letter, Pearson personally told the man to drop the weapon at least once, and then fired twice. Gill wrote that other officers also reported seeing Campbell point his gun toward them and Pearson before Pearson fired his weapon.

Campbell was struck in the shoulder and abdomen and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Campbell was interviewed at the hospital and said he "could not remember details about the event as he had been drinking that evening," according to Gill. The man said he remembered a phone call, being outside and being hit "really hard" before falling down.

The district attorney determined that both Pearson and Malouf were legally justified because both men felt they had to fire their weapons to prevent serious injury or death to themselves or others.

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