Sheriff’s department officers were justified in using lethal force to protect themselves and other officers from an Independence man in an April 27 incident, county attorney Larry Markle said today.

Ray Joseph Humphrey of Independence was killed by law enforcement officers after he fired at officers in a wooded area north of Liberty on the afternoon of April 27.

Markle said that after reviewing video of the shooting incident, he felt the officers were justified in using lethal force to stop Humphrey’s behaviors and actions, which Markle said, was escalating when officers arrived at the scene.
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