PINEVILLE, WV (WVNS) – Local law enforcement is speaking out about the officer involved shooting from last week.

Wyoming County Sheriff Brad Ellison, like many others, saw the video from last Wednesday’s shooting like many others on social media shortly after it happened.

Ellison says after watching the video several times he feels the officers did everything in their power to keep citizens safe. He says officers have to take into account the people at the intersection and what the suspect could do if he’s not contained.

“When officers arrive on scene, they’re looking at all the scenarios. They’re thinking the whole time they’re approaching that. There’s a thousand things going through their minds, protection of citizens. What’s going to happen if this guy gets away from us. About our own safety, about our own guys that are with us.”

Wyoming County Sheriff Brad Ellison

Sheriff Ellison adds if he had been there with those officers, he would have done the same thing.

The identity of the man killed last week was released on Thursday, July 7, 2022. His identity was confirmed to be Matthew Scott Jones, 36, of Culpeper, Virginia. The investigation and further reports about the shooting are still underway.

Stick with 59News as we continue to provide updates to the story.