A Sublette County man who fatally shot his friend July 11 in a Pinedale alleyway after a falling-out used reasonable force to preserve his life as the other man swung an animal trap at him, a special prosecutor has ruled.

The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office announced the decision Tuesday, about two weeks after special prosecutor and Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen issued it.

Craig Rice and Paul Browning were friends “for a number of years,” says Itzen’s decision letter. “ T hey had a falling out over several different issues.”

But, Browning had Rice’s animal traps, and Rice had Browning’s free weights sets, the letter adds.

They arranged to return each other’s property in the alley behind Rice’s business, in Pinedale, on July 11.

The town was bustling, as the excha

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