A Middlesex County judge cleared a Lexington police officer of fatally shooting 37-year-old Brendan Reilly in February 2022 after Reilly charged with a raised knife at another officer who had slipped and fallen to the ground.

Judge Michael Brennan that found Lexington Police Officer Joseph Carruthers had “no reasonable alternative” except to shoot Reilly, who was running towards Officer Steven Papia with a knife, according to a statement from Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.

“The court further finds that when Lexington Police Officer Joseph Carruthers fired his weapon, the situation had escalated to the point where a reasonable law enforcement officer in the same position would reasonably believe that Papia, as well as his fellow officers and others in the area, were in imminent danger of being seriously injured or killed. No reasonable alternative existed except the use of deadly force,” Brennan wrote in a 24-page ruling.

Court officials heard testimony from 36 witnesses, accepted more than 109 exhibits, and conducted an in-person visit to the scene, Ryan said in a statement.

Reilly, according to Judge Brennan’s report, did not comply with officers’ commands and began “threatening to kill” them while armed with a knife. Reilly swung the knife in their direction, according to the report.

Police used non-lethal weapons “to attempt to make Reilly comply with their orders and to protect themselves and the many members of public in the immediate area,” according to the report.

“A reasonable officer’s perception of Reilly would be that his continued assaultive and threatening behavior was potentially harmful to the officers and others and that failure to stop or control Reilly placed the officers and others at substantial risk of bodily harm,” the report said.

Officer Paipa later slipped and fell during the incident, the report said.

“When Papia slipped and fell, Reilly sprang to his feet and charged at Papia with his knife raised and with what a reasonable person would believe was an intention to stab and potentially kill Papia,” the report said.

Carruthers then shot and killed Reilly and as Reilly ran towards Papia, according to the report.

“This Court finds that Carruthers fully complied with the use of force policy and the totality of the circumstances of Feb. 12, 2022 support Carruthers’ decision to use deadly force,” the report said.