The officer-involved fatal shooting of a McCurtain County, Okla., man was justified, according to a recent statement from District 17 Prosecuting Attorney Mark Matloff.
"I determined the shooting to be a justifiable homicide, and law enforcement officers acted appropriately," Matloff said.
Matloff requested that Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation special agents investigate the officer-involved shooting in Millerton, Okla.
The shooting occurred June 21 when a McCurtain County sheriff's deputy and a Valliant, Okla., police officer responded to a reported domestic altercation in the 300 block of Chickasaw Road, according to the OSBI report.
When officers arrived, they found Daniel Francisco Valenzuela, 37, who had forced his way into the residence. Valenzuela was armed with a knife and ignored commands by officers to drop the knife.
Valenzuela reportedly threatened officers with the knife and advanced toward them. The deputy shot Valenzuela.
Valenzuela was taken by ambulance to McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel where he died from his injuries.
'The shooting was a lawful use of deadly force," Matloff said.