The Moore County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina says that when a Special Forces officer assigned to Fort Liberty shot and killed a man who was taking pictures on his property in May, the soldier acted legally under state law.

“The homeowner’s actions were deemed justifiable under the North Carolina Castle Doctrine, which allows for the use of defensive force in situations where there is a perceived imminent threat to personal and family safety within one’s home or property,” the sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page.

But the dead man’s brother told Task & Purpose he was surprised by the ruling and insisted his brother was a law abiding worker who fled to America to avoid the war in Ukraine.

On May 3, the unnamed Special Forces officer confronted Ramzan Daraev, 35, who worked for Cable Warriors, a subcontractor of Utilities One, and was conducting surveys in the area for a fiber optic expansion, according to the sheriff’s office.