Authorities have cleared a western Kansas police officer of wrongdoing in a shooting death.

Ellis County Attorney Thomas Drees said in a release Thursday that no crime occurred because the Hays officer was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot the 36-year-old man, who wasn’t armed.

Drees says the shooting happened August 18 after police tried to stop a vehicle with an expired license plate. Drees says the driver sped off as other officers responded.

He says the suspect eventually stopped, got out of the car and again ignored police commands. Drees says the man fled again until an officer caught him and tried to force him to the ground. He says the suspect then tried to take the officer’s gun, and the officer fatally shot him in the chest.