Galen Griffin, cleared in the fatal Aloha shooting of a 24-year-old man, told a 9-1-1 operator that prior to the shooting, the man had approached him and threatened to "cut my heart out," according to court records.

Shortly before 8 p.m., Griffin, 41, called 9-1-1 to report that he was being followed by two men, whom he did not know, and worried that he would become the target of a robbery, according to a charging decision written by Washington County Deputy District Attorney Bracken McKey. Wearing a backpack, Griffin left his Aloha apartment on Oct. 2 to walk to the Albertsons store on Southwest 185th Avenue when the two started following him.

Griffin reportedly changed the direction he was walking several times and hid to avoid a confrontation, standing behind a vehicle. After reportedly losing sight of Griffin, the two men -- whom authorities identified as 24-year-old Forest Alig and 40-year-old Steven Rhee, both of Beaverton -- quickly spoke before heading in different directions.

Alig again started to follow Griffin, who had walked several blocks in a circle, and called Rhee.

Griffin and Alig became engaged in a confrontation near the intersection of Southwest Rosa Road and 183rd Avenue.

According to the charging decision, Alig yelled obscenities at Griffin, who saw "something shiny in Alig's hand." Griffin later told investigators that the object could have been a cellphone, but he wasn't sure.

"'Get away from me,'" Griffin told Alig.

Griffin, who has a concealed handgun permit, pulled out a .357 caliber revolver. He "painted" the weapon's laser at Alig's feet while repeatedly telling him to "get away from me," the charging decision says.

Alig continued to advance. Griffin fired a shot toward Alig.

Alig again approached. Griffin fired again, striking Alig in the chest.

After firing the second shot, Griffin told the 9-1-1 operator, "he just charged at me from about 15 feet away, and I think I hit him," the charging decision says. "I'm running back to my apartment. He threatened to cut my heart out."

Alig ran from the scene but soon collapsed along the road.

Shortly before 8 p.m., deputies responded to the report of a shooting near the intersection of Rosa Road and 183rd Avenue. They arrived within a minute of the shooting and found Alig, who died at the scene, on the side of the road.

Deputies located Griffin, who cooperated with investigators. Authorities also found Rhee near the scene and talked with him about his involvement.

A witness told authorities that before Alig collapsed near a bush on her property, he reached under his pant leg and into his shoe. The next morning she found two folding knives, including one with an open blade, under some weeds near the place Alig collapsed.

The knives were sent to the Oregon State Police Crime Lab, and Rhee's DNA was found on one of the weapons, according to the charging decision. Sgt. Bob Ray, a Washington County Sheriff's Office spokesman, said Alig's DNA was not found on the knives.

It's unknown whether Alig was holding a knife during his confrontation with Griffin, according to the charging decision. However, McKey wrote, "...it is a reasonable inference that Alig was armed with a knife and continued to advance towards Griffin to a distance of approximately 15 feet before Griffin shot a second time," McKey wrote in his decision.

Following several interviews with investigators, Rhee said on Oct. 2 he went with Alig to an apartment near the incident location because a tenant there owed him money. As they were trying to contact the tenant, Griffin walked by with his backpack.

Rhee told detectives that Alig told him to "retrieve items" from the passenger side of their vehicle, and "Rhee retrieved two knives," the charging decision says. He later told authorities that they were the same knives that were found at the scene.

"Rhee stated that Alig told him they were going to follow Griffin and take his backpack, presumably using the knives to accomplish their goal," McKey wrote in his decision.

After becoming uncomfortable with the robbery, Rhee dropped the knives along Rosa Road, he told authorities. According to the charging decision, the location where he said he left the weapons was about a half-block from the place they were found.

A Washington County grand jury on Wednesday

, unlawful use of a weapon and distributing and possessing meth. He is being held in the Washington County Jail.

Oregon law enables people to use deadly force against another if they reasonably believe "the other person is committing or attempting to commit a felony involving the use or threatened imminent use of physical force," McKey wrote in his decision. The law further says that "a person may only use the degree of force which the person reasonably believes to be necessary."

"Griffin has repeatedly stated that he believed it was necessary to shoot Alig in order to save his own life," McKey wrote. "A review of the file leads me and the investigators assigned to this case to conclude that this belief was reasonable."

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