Prosecutor: July police shooting of Muncie man was justified

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - Police officers were 'œcompletely and legally justified'ť when they shot and killed a Muncie man who had pointed what turned out to be a pellet gun at officers, a prosecutor said Friday.

Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman said that Tylor Christian Warner 'œmade the choice to arm himself with a gun that looks exactly like a real firearm,'ť and then pointed it 'œdirectly at uniformed police officers and took what appeared to be a shooting stance.'ť

Warner, 30, was shot after he repeatedly ignored Muncie officers' demands to drop the weapon, said Hoffman, who reviewed an Indiana State Police report on the July 5 shooting, the Star Press reported.

Images from police body cameras showed Warner emerging, with gun in hand, from a vehicle that was parked under a carport outside a home near his own. Warner then pointed that gun at four officers and ignored their demands to drop the weapon, Hoffman said.

He said three of the officers fired shots in self defense and Warner was struck by three bullets, in the chest, left shoulder and left knee. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

'œThe only person who knows why Tylor Warner did what he did is Tylor Warner,'ť Hoffman wrote in his findings. 'œSince he is deceased, the state will not comment on his motive.'ť

The gun Warner was brandishing was a steel pistol that shot pellets. He was also armed with a butcher knife.

Police arrived at the scene after a woman called emergency dispatchers to report that Warner was depressed and suicidal, but gave contradictory information about whether he was armed.