GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Retired Greensboro Police Officer Brenda Bishop will not face charges in the shooting death of her husband, according to the Randolph County District Attorney's office.
On December 10, 2014, police said Bishop called Guilford County Emergency Services at 1:10 p.m. and told them she had shot her husband, George Bishop.
George Bishop later died from his gunshot wound. Police told WFMY News 2, the 68-year-old Bishop was shot at the couple's home on Larchmont Drive.
Andrew Gregson, Chief Assistant District Attorney for Randolph and Montgomery counties determined that Bishop's use of deadly force was fully justified under the law.
Bishop's attorney, Locke Clifford, said his client is relieved this is over.
Clifford said the violence started with a threat earlier that night. "(George) had told her earlier, you're going to die at midnight tonight and if you try to flee, I'm going to put two shots in you before you get to the door."
Clifford says the retired Lieutenant was faced with a difficult choice - shoot her husband or get shot herself. "Faced with that very poor choice of options, she stayed there until the time came when she knew her time was up, then she shot him," said Clifford.
Clifford said George Bishop was paranoid about his wife and thought she was cheating on him. Clifford added she did what she could to calm his fears. We're told she even left the house and didn't come back for a week just days before the shooting.
Clifford says it didn't work. "They had been through fights like this before over the years but this time she knew it was going to be over."
Clifford said the husband and wife fired five shots in total with George Bishop firing first. Investigators said he died from two gunshot injuries - one in the jaw, one in the neck.
Brenda Bishop retired from the Greensboro police force in 1998 after 30 years of service. Her husband was an accomplished musician.
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