CLINTON - A deputy whose status at the East Feliciana Sheriff's Office has been veiled in secrecy for weeks is officially back on the job.

"Our position is this, we had no reason to think that our deputy acted anything other than legally and to save his life," Greg Phares with the East Feliciana Sheriff's Office said. "We are still firm of that opinion."

The sheriff's office confirmed Wednesday that Cullen Wilson was put on leave after the April 12 shooting that left 28-year-old Myron Flowers dead. The department said Wilson and an assisting Clinton police officer shot Flowers after an altercation broke out during a traffic stop.

Officials later said Flowers, a passenger in the vehicle, was armed with two stolen guns at the time of the stop.

Though Wilson has apparently been on leave since the deadly encounter, Wednesday marks the first time the sheriff's office confirmed the deputy was taken off duty. He's been back on the job since Monday, the department said. It's unclear in what capacity Wilson is working at this time.

Family members were in disbelief.

"It's like a slap in the face to the family, makes us feel like they don't care about how we feel about the situation," said Tanquetra Spears, Flowers' sister.

Wilson was photographed in uniform last week, but the sheriff's office said the deputy was only attending a meeting that day. Department officials maintain that Wilson acted in self-defense and was justified in the shooting.

East Feliciana District Attorney Sam D'Aquilla says no decision has been made on whether the case will go to a grand jury because his office has not received any reports or files from the incident, including the autopsy report.