Prosecutor: Illinois officers cleared in fatal shooting

TUSCOLA, Ill. (AP) - An eastern Illinois prosecutor says two officers who shot a man to death outside a home in early January did nothing wrong.

Tuscola police officer Mark Payne or Arcola officer Sean Junge killed 39-year-old Tommy E. Smith of Arcola on Jan. 11 outside his mother's home. Arcola is about 35 miles south of Champaign in Douglas County.

Douglas County State's Attorney Kevin Nolan told The News-Gazette in Champaign (http://bit.ly/1FfVtwg ) that Smith pointed a rifle at the officers just before they shot him. He died at the scene.

Police were called by another relative who said Smith was involved in some kind of dispute with his mother.

Officers said at one point believed they had the situation defused but Smith then pointed the rifle at them. They said Smith had been drinking.

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Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com