"I am very confident this will have a good outcome for the officer as it should," said Attorney Thomas Burton, regarding the Village of Fredonia police officer whom he now represents, and who was involved in a deadly shooting while on duty Monday.
The officer in question, who more than 24 hours later had still not been identified by the department, was on a call at a home at 76 Liberty Street for a report of a despondent man who'd locked himself in a bathroom.
According to Burton and Fredonia Police Chief Bradley Meyers, the man charged from the bathroom, covered in blood, wielding a knife and proceeded to attempt to attack the officer.
Police, as of Tuesday afternoon, had still not released the identity of the deceased man either.
Burton says the officer, who he deferred to police to identify, quickly retreated from the home.
"The fellow with the knife chased him right out of the house," claimed Burton. "When they got to the driveway, the officer turned and ordered the individual to stop, screaming at the top of his lungs two or three times to stop advancing. When he got too close for safety for the officer, the officer fired and terminated the threat."
Chief Meyers had stated on Monday evening the officer was placed in a position where he had little choice but to defend himself with deadly force.
Burton was due to meet Tuesday with investigators looking into the matter. He also indicated there might be more than just the word of the officer at hand.
"I'm not at liberty to disclose all of it, but I can tell you there is a very good record of what took place," Burton told WGRZ-TV.
While Burton declined to be more specific, it is known that there witnesses -including firefighters who responded to the call- and we also know that Fredonia equips its officers with body cameras. (Although we don't have confirmation if the officer in question was wearing one.)
"An officer may respond with deadly force when he is facing the imminent use or actual use of deadly force," said Burton. "And it doesn't get much more imminent than someone chasing you with a knife attacking you with that same weapon."
The quiet surrounding the small home on Tuesday stood in stark contrast to the chaotic scene which erupted there a day before. In our attempt to speak to someone in the home, a person answered the door but quickly closed it.
Although the NYS Attorney General's office was notified, because the suspect was armed, Burton believes the investigation--and any decisions made from it, will stay within the hands of the Chautauqua County District Attorney.