Lawyers for the family of Ismael Lopez, the man killed by Southaven police officers at his home on Sunday night, say private investigators they hired have concluded that bullets were fired through a closed front door.

"What we've learned is the door was shut," attorney Murray Wells said in a news conference at his downtown Memphis law office. "The body of Ismael Lopez was some distance from the door." He said the door had three bullet holes.

Efforts to reach a representative of Southaven police were unsuccessful Wednesday afternoon.

The statement that the door was closed echoes comments by family friend Jordan Castillo, who showed reporters holes in the door on Monday.

The attorneys said the private investigators with the firm they hired, Memphis-based Inquisitor Inc., went into the home, took photos, tracked bullet paths and made measurements to reach their conclusion the door was closed. The lawyers also said the investigators interviewed a neighbor who said he heard no verbal commands before the shooting.

Murray said the family has authorized the lawyers to file a lawsuit, but he wasn't sure if it would come to that.

Investigating the shooting

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has also launched a review of the shooting in the 5800 block of Surrey Lane. The agency is expected to hand off its findings to a north Mississippi prosecutor, John Champion, who will judge whether to file criminal charges against the officers.

Champion said Monday that his initial understanding was that officers had come to the house to look for a suspect in a domestic violence case and that a pit bull dog ran out of the house, prompting one of the officers to shoot.

Officers then saw someone in the doorway pointing a gun, Champion said. They ordered him to drop it and shots were fired when he didn't obey. The man they shot had no warrants, and Champion said they believed officers may have gone to the wrong house.

Also Wednesday, the Sheriff of neighboring Tate County, Brad Lance, described his agency's request that prompted the Southaven police officers to look for the domestic violence suspect.

He said Samuel Pearman had been accused of choking his ex-girlfriend at a gas station earlier that same night.

Lance said the investigating deputy that night called Southaven police and gave the address information for Pearman, prompting the officers to look for him. He said it's his understanding that the officers went to the wrong address, the house where Lopez was shot.

A written warrant wasn't issued for Pearman until the following day, the Sheriff said.

Pearman is still missing, and the Tate County Sheriff is asking anyone who knows where he is to call his department at 662-562-4434.

Reach reporter Daniel Connolly at 529-5296, daniel.connolly@commercialappeal.com, or on Twitter at @danielconnolly.