STANFORD, Ky. (WKYT) - It was business as usual at the Stanford Wal-Mart Tuesday…only the markings of the violence Monday remained. Yet in Mercer County many are questioning how such a peaceful man..would be behind such a violent act.

“Shock and dismay,” said Lyn Ennis of Hopewell Rd in hearing about what happened to her neighbor. “He’s such a nice guy. You would never think he was capable of doing such a thing,” she said.

Yet police say that Jackie N. Murphy, 71, will be charged with attempted murder of a police officer. They say after he stole something from Wal-Mart, he got away from a loss prevention officer..then fired at police who confronted him outside. Multiple shots were fired in a shootout that ended when Stanford officer Tim Morris shot Murphy, who neighbors say has been ill for quite some time with Alzheimer’s.

“It’s just gotten the best of him. So sad because he’s such a nice guy,” said Ennis.

Neighbors say we’d be hard pressed to find any criminal wrongoing against Murphy. We went to both Lincoln and Mercer County courthouses to see if he has any kind of criminal record. We couldn’t find a thing.

In fact most question why he traveled to Stanford when he probably would have found what he needed in nearby Harrodsburg or Danville.

“There was no reason for him to end up in Stanford to begin with. And I think he had a really bad mental breakdown,” said Ennis.

Murphy remains at UK hospital with what police called non-life threatening injuries but hospital officials say they could not release any condition on him.