A Mission officer who shot a man during a March burglary call at a Target store acted lawfully, District Attorney Steve Howe said Sept. 14.

The ruling closes a six-month investigation into the March 15 shooting at 6100 Broadmoor St. in Mission, near Johnson Drive and Metcalf Avenue. William Henry Parker III, the man who was shot, faces charges of attempted capital murder, interference with a law enforcement officer and burglary. He is being held in the Johnson County Detention Center on $1 million bond.

Howe said at a press conference that the case was straightforward. "It's a very clear-cut case where an officer doing his job in the line of duty was faced with a threat on his life and used deadly force in response to that," Howe said, according to the Kansas City Star.

What happened March 15

The officer responded to a burglary call at about 4:41 a.m. on March 15. Remote Target security officers had reported a suspect inside the store wearing black clothing, a blue hat and a backpack, and carrying a hammer and two duffel bags, according to the DA's office.

The officer parked on Barkley Street near the Rock Creek Trail and turned on his weapon-mounted flashlight. He saw Parker jump down from a stone retaining wall next to the trail, according to KSHB.

The officer identified himself and ordered Parker to stop and show his hands. Parker dropped a duffel bag and ran.

Twenty seconds into the foot pursuit, Parker began firing at the officer, according to the DA's review reported by KMBC. The officer returned fire. The exchange lasted about 12 seconds.

Parker suffered several gunshot wounds to his left leg but continued shooting as other officers arrived and arrested him. The officer was not injured.

Evidence at the scene

Investigators recovered a black Smith & Wesson handgun, nine cartridge cases, black duffel bags containing stolen Target merchandise and Parker's clothing. Body camera footage showed muzzle flashes from Parker's position, supporting the officer's account. DNA evidence also connected Parker to the shooting, according to charging documents cited by KMBC.

Kansas law allows the use of force when a person has a "reasonable belief" that their life or the lives of others are in danger. Howe said the evidence clearly met that standard. The investigation was conducted by the Officer-Involved Critical Incident Investigative Team.

Internal review and what's next

Mission Police Chief Dan Madden said a separate internal affairs investigation found the officer's actions were consistent with department policies, according to Fox 4. Madden said the officer returned to duty about three weeks after the shooting.

Parker's preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 28, in Johnson County court. The officer has not been publicly identified.