ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — A district attorney has ruled that an Elizabeth City police lieutenant was justified in a July shooting that injured a 32-year-old man armed with a firearm.

The Elizabeth City Police Department said Friday it received a letter from First Prosecutorial District Attorney Jeffrey J. Cruden, who reviewed the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s report. Cruden determined that Lt. James Judge acted lawfully and appropriately when he fired his weapon during the July 20 encounter.

Police said the incident began around 12:40 p.m. near Hughes Boulevard and Halstead Boulevard, where officers responded to reports of a person armed with a weapon. When the officer arrived, he encountered a man from Perquimans County who was holding a firearm. The officer fired, hitting

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