LOS ANGELES (AP) - Prosecutors have declined to charge two Los Angeles police officers who fatally shot an unarmed man after he threw a beer bottle through a window of their patrol car.
The Los Angeles Times reports Monday that prosecutors determined the officers’ actions were justified because they reasonably believed James Byrd was armed with a gun and had shot at them in 2015.
Police did not find a gun on Byrd. The officers said they thought the sound of the car window shattering was a gunshot. Investigators determined Byrd had thrown a 40-ounce beer bottle.
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In 2016, the Police Commission, a civilian oversight panel, determined the officers violated department rules for using deadly force.
Chief Charlie Beck said he believed the initial rounds fired by the officers fell within policy, but he faulted them for firing an additional 11 rounds.
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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/
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