Viltrax wrote:
Worth some investigation.
Was the timing of the pardon such that it could have happened right at the instant you were caught?
Could that NPC have already been hunting you from a prior visit to the city (prior to being pardoned)?
...as for in-character...
A junior armored male dwarf says to a senior armored male dwarf, 'We couldda just marched him over to the judge to check.'
A senior armored male dwarf growls.
A senior armored male dwarf says, 'Oh cobblestones, 'e was a criminal 'afore and he'll criminal agin. I jus' did e'eryone a favor.'
A junior armored male dwarf raises his eyebrows.
A junior armored male dwarf ponders.
A junior armored male dwarf says to himself, 'Y'know I thought I saw some movement away - ya might have had no choice if he was escapin'.'
A junoir armored male dwarf strokes his beard, nodding to himself.
A junior armored male dwarf says, 'Yep, now that I be thinkin' 'bout it, I swore I saw him startin' ta be running away.'
A senior male dwarf grunts.
I'm pretty sure that could have just been summed up with, "it looks like a good day to use excessive force."