A law enforcement-involved shooting that left a suspect dead following an armed standoff has been ruled justified based on preliminary findings from the TBI.

“It was a case of shoot or be shot,” said District Attorney General Lisa Zavogiannis of the initial report from the TBI on the death of Clifford Keller, 34, who was shot and killed by SWAT team members following a standoff on Chestnut Ridge Road in December.

“The preliminary report is it was justified, but we have to wait for ballistics to be completed before we can say something final.”

Deputies went to the remote location off Viola Highway to arrest Keller on outstanding warrants. An armed standoff ensued after he took refuge in a trailer on the property and threatened to shoot a police dog.

Keller reportedly fired shots from inside the trailer prompting deputies to call the Critical Incident Response Team, commonly referred to as a SWAT team, to negotiate with him to surrender peacefully.

However, officers said he eventually came out of the trailer brandishing a firearm and pointed it in their direction.

“They opened fire,” said Zavogiannis, noting she believes three of the officers fired on the armed man, killing him.

Zavogiannis said that until autopsy and ballistic results are complete, she cannot reveal how many times Keller was shot or which round or rounds may have proved fatal.