Original Article May 3, 4:16 AM EDT Police officer cleared in fatal shooting TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- A city police officer who shot and killed a man who pointed what appeared to be a gun has been cleared by Tucson and the Police Department. Police said the object turned out to be a plate holder. According to documents released Tuesday, 11-year veteran Daniel Mejia was justified in shooting Randy L. Helton on Sept. 23 after police were called to Helton's home for a domestic disturbance. Before police arrived, Helton allegedly assaulted his wife and her son with a wooden closet rod before breaking into two neighboring homes. When officers caught up with Helton, they said the 43-year-old man was sitting inside a walled yard at a neighbor's home, carrying a black plate holder and gripping it as if it were a handgun. Helton allegedly pointed the object alternately at his head and at approaching police, did not obey police orders when told to drop the object and began walking toward a gate where he would have had access to the neighborhood and people in the area. To prevent Helton from leaving the yard with what appeared to be a weapon, Mejia shot him, according to police. A police board of inquiry found that the shooting was deemed to have been within policy.