CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack announced Wednesday that two officers were justified in the shooting death of 33-year-old Nathaniel Liberator in Carlisle earlier this year.
McCormack announced his findings into the Jan. 13 shooting at a press conference inside the Cumberland County Courthouse on Wednesday.
During the press conference, McCormack said that officers were responding to a verbal altercation between Liberator and a family on C. Street in Carlisle on Jan. 13, when he was found walking his dog on H Street.
When officers asked for him to stop and pull his hands out of his pockets, Liberator refused to comply with commands, officials said.
“He had, when he left the sidewalk, put his hands in his pockets," said McCormack. "And the officers, concerned about their safety, commanded him to take his hands out of his pockets.”
McCormack said officers decided against using a taser and mace and attempted to restrain Liberator.
However, the officers were wrestled to the ground, and Liberator allegedly pulled out a sharpened object and attempted to stab one of the officers on the ground.
That's when McCormack said that the second officer retrieved his weapon, and shot Liberator twice.
“The force that Nathaniel Liberator was using against the officers was the type of force intended to cause death or serious bodily injury," said McCormack. "Therefore, the patrol officer was justified in using deadly force to prevent the death or serious injury to his supervisor.”
Authorities say they were unaware that Liberator's family had tried to get him committed for mental health problems during the previous week, and both officers were removed from duty with pay while the investigation was ongoing.
The Carlisle Police Department is conducting its own internal review of the incident.
McCormack says that he spoke with Liberator's family before announcing his findings at the press conference on Wednesday.