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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Authorities in West Virginia say a man who was fatally shot by deputies several days earlier was holding a paint spray gun and not a firearm.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the Monongalia County Sheriff's Office said Friday that Randall Beymer threatened the deputies with a black "paint can gun." Deputies described the sprayer as having a pistol-type grip and "a trigger assembly that closely resembled a handgun."
The sheriff's office said five deputies are on administrative leave as an internal investigation continues.
The office released its first statement last Sunday, a day after the shooting.
Deputies had received complaints about an armed man. Authorities say a standoff ensued, and deputies opened fire on the 62-year-old Beymer.
The office says Beymer lunged toward the closest officer, and deputies then shot him.
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