SEBASTIAN COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Fort Smith Police Department released body cam footage of an officer involved shooting on November 16.

The shooting incident happened October 25 when Michael Lee Fairburn, 61, tried to evade police. Fairburn is a fugitive from Indiana, who police described as a violent sex offender.

The body cam footage showed police telling Fairburn to drop the knife he was holding. Fairburn continued to create distance between officers and threw a knife.

Officers then opened fire on Fairburn, who was holding a second knife. They then called emergency services and attempted life-saving measures, including applying tourniquets to his legs.

Fairburn was transported to Baptist Health and later to UAMS in Little Rock.

In a letter published last week, Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Shue said that the officers involved in the shooting were justified.

“In this situation where Fairburn was actively attempting to murder and batter the officers with a knife, I do not find Officer Jenkins’ and Officer Romesburg’s use of deadly force to be unreasonable at the moment they made the decision to fire,” Shue said.